


Star Wars Episode VIII: The Alternative Jedi

by adrianrr17



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 06:24:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13564722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianrr17/pseuds/adrianrr17
Summary: I hated The Last Jedi, so I wrote my own script of what I think the sequel to The Force Awakens should've been. My version has a lot of the same themes as the movie, but I had very different thoughts on how they should've been explored. I don't know anything about scriptwriting, so please don't judge me if you are knowledgable about screenplay. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!





	Star Wars Episode VIII: The Alternative Jedi

Opening crawl:

 

The FIRST ORDER reigns. SUPREME LEADER SNOKE has begun monitoring all galactic communication networks, which has forced the RESISTANCE into hiding on Crait.

 

Unaware of these developments, REY has been training with Jedi Master LUKE SKYWALKER. General LEIA ORGANA knows their return could shift the tide of the war.

 

The General has sent Commander POE DAMERON to CANTO BIGHT. Poe seeks a hacker who can break the First Order’s blockade and send a signal to Rey and Skywalker, half a galaxy away…

 

_Pan down in space to a lone, unmarked white ship flying towards a blue-white planet—Canto Bight. A Star Destroyer looms ominously above the planet. Zoom in on the Destroyer’s command bridge, then cut to the interior, where General Hux overlooks the planet. Hux turns at the voice of one of his officers, who is working at a monitor._

Officer: General Hux, we’re picking up an entry code from that ship. It checks out, but the ship is missing the proper clearance markers. Shall I make contact?

 

_Hux walks over to the worker and leans over the monitor, scowling at the radar display of the ship._

Hux: Yes. This may well be the Resistance mistake we’ve been waiting for. Supreme Leader Snoke would be most displeased should we overlook it.

 

_Cut to the cockpit of the smaller ship. Poe sits at the controls. BB-8 sits on the floor next to him, angling his head up towards his master._

Poe: They’re making contact. Do you think we missed something?

 

_BB-8 fires off a series of beeps._  


Poe: You’re right. They haven’t blasted us out of the sky yet, so we’ve still got a chance at pulling this thing off.

 

_Close-up on Poe as he flips a switch._

Poe: This is Freighter ADR-187, delivering replacement droids to Canto Bight.

 

Hux, over the intercom: Where are your clearance markers, ADR-187? Are you aware of Galactic Decree 498, which mandates that all ships obtain mission-specific markers from a First Order station prior to embarking?

Poe, thinking quickly: We’ve been working in the Outer Rim mines for the last six months. We were never informed of this decree.

Hux, over the intercom: What system have you been working in, ADR-187?

 

Poe: Primarily on the mining planet Auren.

_BB-8 beeps curiously, and Poe looks down at him indignantly._

Poe, off the intercom: Yes, that is a mining planet!

 

_Cut to Hux. He turns to one of his lieutenants, who stands nearby._

Hux: Lieutenant. Did you announce Decree 498 simultaneously in all systems, as Leader Snoke ordered?

 

_The lieutenant looks nervous. Everyone else is fixated on their work._

Lieutenant: General, some of the transmission systems to the Outer Rim are severely antiquated, and our more advance techno—

 

Hux, interrupting: Did you or did you not?

 

Lieutenant, bracing himself: No, I did not.

 

Hux: What, Lieutenant, is the point of decreeing that all ships obtain mission-specific markers if only half the ships in the galaxy know they have to!? This failure will cost you. For your sake, I hope it does not cost the entire First Order.

 

_Hux fumes for a moment, shaking his head at this negligence, then turns back to the intercom and speaks to Poe._

Hux: ADR-187, you are cleared. Obtain your clearance markers before departing from Canto Bight.

 

_Cut to Poe, who smiles broadly._

 

Poe: We will make sure to do that. Thank you.

 

_The transmission cuts out. BB-8 beeps happily and Poe rubs his head like a dog before rising from his seat and exiting the cockpit, BB-8 rolling behind him. The camera tracks him as he hurries through the ship. He stops in the main room of the ship and flips a panel open, revealing a control pad. He enters a code, and a compartment opens in the wall. Finn’s medical capsule slides out and Finn sits up as the glass top pops open._

Poe: We’re clear!

 

Finn: It worked?  


Poe: We were missing some clearance markers, but they let us go. So much for First Order discipline. Get dressed.

 

_Poe heads back to the cockpit but BB-8 stays behind. Finn climbs slowly out of the capsule, unhooking wires and tubes as he does so. He opens a drawer beneath the capsule, taking out a pile of clothes._

_Shot of Finn’s full body from behind as he sets the clothes aside and slowly unclips the top of his recovery suit, grimacing slightly as he does so. When he removes the top of his suit, we see the hideous lightsaber scar which runs along the length of his spine. Finn turns around and looks at BB-8, who is watching him attentively. There is another scar on the front of Finn’s right shoulder. Close-up on Finn’s face._

Finn: Show me again, BB-8.

 

_Cut to BB-8, who rolls forward and projects an image on the ground. Pan to the image: it is Rey, saying goodbye to Finn. In the hologram, Rey kisses Finn on the forehead, then stands and leaves. Finn kneels down next to the hologram and stares at it with longing and sadness, but also determination. He grits his teeth._

_Cut to a shot of the surface of Canto Bight. In the background, we can hear music playing, fountains rushing, talk, laughter, and the clink of glasses and coins. The casino is enormous, with every sort of creature surrounding the hundreds of slot machines and gambling tables._

_Through the windows, we can see barges skimming across the water, ferrying visitors to the main casino from distant islands. We watch one barge as it departs from one of these islands; in the background we can see Finn, Poe, and BB-8 exiting their freighter, which is parked behind them on one of the island’s landing platforms. Cut to the trio walking._

_The two men are dressed in simple black and white formalwear. The casino worker in charge of the landing platforms nods at them, and they nod back politely. Cut to a close-up of BB-8. A small alien runs up to him and sticks a coin into him. BB-8 cocks his head, confused. The alien sticks in another coin, then another. BB-8 beeps and wheels away, trailing behind Finn and Poe. The alien chases after him._

_We see the group walk onto the docks and board a barge, then the camera cuts to a frontal close-up of Finn and Poe walking inside the crowded barge, headed for the stairs which lead to the top deck._

_Poe mainly stares straight ahead, but Finn glances around, peering at the guests surrounding him. Cut to Finn’s nervous, inquiring face, then cut to a shot of a First Order logo pinned to someone’s black lapel, which Finn has glimpsed through the crowd. Cut back to Finn’s face, his face worried as he and Poe reach the stairs. Cut to a shot of them as they finish climbing the stairs and step onto the top deck._

Finn: Poe, there are First Order officers here.

 

_Cut to Poe._

 

Poe: Stay calm, Finn. Did you think they spent all their time on Star Destroyers?

 

_Cut to Finn._

 

Finn: I know that officer. If he recognizes us, this whole thing could blow up in our faces.

 

_Cut to Poe, who seems calm and unbothered by Finn’s concerns._

 

Poe: He’s not here because of us. He’s here to spend his paycheck.

 

_Cut to a frontal shot of both of them. They cross to the barge’s railing and lean out over the water, gazing out at the magnificent sunset as the barge glides across the water._

Finn: You mean this is what they gain? All the pain they cause, it’s for this?

 

_Finn looks shocked—he never realized that his superiors, unlike the stormtroopers, were not bound to dedicate their entire lives to the First Order._

 

Poe: Partly, yes. Not such a bad deal, from a certain point of view.

 

_There is a pause when neither one speaks before Poe removes a button from his pocket and presses it. A hologram of a young Asian woman appears. Poe uses his body to shield the hologram from prying eyes. Close-up of Poe’s face._

 

Poe: Here’s one last look at our hacker. General Organa couldn’t contact her safely, so she won’t be expecting us. Just be cool and make sure we’re not overheard.

DJ: Overheard?

 

_Cut out to a wider shot of Finn and Poe, where we can see that a slightly scruffy man in a long gray trench coat has appeared behind them. Poe and Finn spin around, Poe stuffing the button back into his pocket even though DJ has already seen it. Close-up on Poe._

Poe: Who are you?

 

_Cut to DJ._

 

DJ: Neither of us has time for me to answer that. As for you, I’ll pretend I don’t know you’re with the Resistance, should the First Order come calling. But it’ll cost you.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe looking at each other, wondering how seriously they ought to take this derelict. Close-up on Finn._

Finn: Cost us? We don’t have money with us, but please, we need you to—

 

_Finn stops talking as we see DJ remove a communication device from his jacket. Poe and Finn look at it with concern as DJ dangles it in front of them. Close-up on Finn._

Finn: Please don’t.

 

_DJ sighs and shrugs, lifting the device to his mouth. He is about to press the button when we suddenly hear the sound of BB-8 approaching them. A clinking noise accompanies him as he rolls forward. He beeps several times at Poe. Close-up on Poe._

Poe: What? How?

 

_More beeps. Close-up on BB-8 as he opens a hatch on his body and extends a compartment filled with coins. Cut to DJ, who wears an unsurprised smirk as he lowers the device. He winks at BB-8 as he kneels down to pocket the money._

DJ: Maybe let your round friend do the talking next time.

 

_DJ finishes collecting the money and stands. He shakes Poe’s hand, then Finn’s. They look at him warily._

DJ: Pleasure doing business with you. Good luck finding your hacker.

 

_The camera follows Finn and Poe’s gaze as they watch DJ’s retreating back before the camera cuts to both of their uneasy faces._

Finn: I don’t trust him.

 

Poe: Neither do I, but it’s too late now.

 

_The barge has reached the casino. It stops, and both Poe and Finn jolt a little on impact. The other passengers begin to move, jostling Poe and Finn. We can hear the music from the casino. Close-up of Poe’s face, his expression steely._

Poe: Let’s find this lady and get out of here. If he sells us out…

 

_Poe trails off, his confidence waning slightly as he stares at a point far in the distance. Close-up on Finn, who is suddenly resolute._

 

Finn: We can’t worry about that right now. We have to send this message, or we don’t stand a chance against the First Order.

 

_Cut to Poe, who returns Finn’s intense stare. Poe nods slowly. Cut to a distant shot of Finn and Poe, tiny figures on the crowded barge, even smaller compared to the enormous crowd at the casino they’re about to join._

_The camera zooms even farther out as it pans away from the bright lights and chaos of the casino, out to the water where everything is calm and peaceful. The setting sun turns everything pink, soft, and quiet._

_Abrupt cut to an elevator door opening on Kylo’s black mask. The camera follows him from behind as he enters Snoke’s blood red throne room. The room is empty other than Kylo and Snoke. Kylo kneels in front of his master, who laughs at the sight of his subordinate apprentice._

Snoke: Rise, Kylo Ren.

 

_Kylo stands. He looks up at Snoke, waiting. Close-up on Snoke as he contemplates his apprentice for a moment before speaking again._

 

Snoke: Take off your mask. I want to see it again.

 

_Cut to Kylo. He hesitates for a moment before removing his helmet and dropping it. The metal mask causes a loud clanging as it hits the floor, and the sound echoes in the spacious room. A horrible scar runs along the right side of his face. It looks burned, blistered, and painful. Cut to Snoke, who seems unbothered and perhaps even pleased by his apprentice’s maimed face._

Snoke: That scar will never fully heal. It will serve as a constant reminder that you were bested by a girl who had never before wielded a lightsaber. But it will make you stronger, so long as you allow it to feed your hatred of her.

 

_Cut to Kylo. Darkness swirls in his eyes, but he is also trying to conceal his fear of Snoke. He swallows before speaking to his master._

Kylo: Supreme Leader, the girl is also growing stronger. I can feel the Light rising in her.

 

_Cut to Snoke. The camera tracks him as he stands and descends from his throne, then walks past Kylo, who turns to keep Snoke in his line of vision._

Snoke, in a slow, cruel voice: This does not concern me. She will not beat you again.

 

_He stops and turns to face Kylo._

 

Snoke: When you face her next, use your power, not your pride.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who nods obediently. Cut to Snoke, who narrows his eyes at his apprentice._

Snoke, disdainfully: Do you fear her?

 

_Cut to a side shot of the two. Kylo steps forward, closer to Snoke. He is offended by Snoke’s implication, and there is anger in his eyes._

Kylo, in a low voice: Never.

 

_Cut to Snoke, who laughs. It is an ugly sound._

Snoke: Then killing her ought to be easy for you.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who looks confused._

Kylo: Will you not try to turn her?

 

_Cut to Snoke, who ascends his throne again but does not sit. Kylo turns again, not wanting to let Snoke out of his sight. Snoke pauses for a moment, his back to Kylo, before answering._

Snoke: No. She is drawn too strongly to the Light. I would have to watch her closely. Her death is inevitable.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who wears a blank face as he listens. Cut back to Snoke, who turns and sits on his throne again before beckoning to Kylo. Kylo steps forward._

Snoke: You are far more valuable to me. Come here.

 

_Side shot of the two. Kylo mounts Snoke’s throne and stands on the step below the chair, so he and Snoke are at eye level. Snoke leans forward and reaches out to cup Kylo’s face in his large hand, right along the scar. Kylo refrains from flinching. Cut to Snoke’s face._

Snoke: Feel your darkness.

 

_Cut back to the side angle as Snoke suddenly tightens his grip on Kylo’s face. Kylo screams and falls to his knees._

_Visions flash across the screen. Young Ben Solo being led away from his home by a cloaked figure, presumably Luke. Ben Solo reaching out, using the force for the first time as he stares at a floating rock in awe. The visions quickly grow dark. Ben Solo, older now, dressed in black, climbing a wooded hill near Luke’s temple and entering a cave hidden in the trees: Snoke sits in the cave, waiting. Ben Solo, sitting on his bed, working on handcrafting the saber he now wields. Ben Solo, slashing through walls with his new, red, sword-like saber, while Luke’s voice cries out at him over the din and Snoke’s laughter echoes around him. Ben Solo, by now called Kylo Ren, surrounded by his Knights of Ren as he stands beside an ancient funeral pyre on Endor and lifts the infamous mask of Darth Vader in triumph and reverence._

_The visions cease. Kylo is on hands and knees now, gasping as he stares at the floor. Snoke leans down from his throne and lifts Kylo’s face with one finger. Snoke looks satisfied by the emotional battering of the visions on his apprentice. Kylo stands again. His movements are slow and he is breathing hard as though in physical pain. When he raises his eyes to Snoke again, his master gestures to the throne room behind Kylo, telling him to turn around._

_Cut to a wider shot as Kylo turns. Rey stands in the center of the throne room. She is dressed in her brown scavenger garb, and holds the blue Skywalker saber. Immediately, Kylo’s saber jumps into his hand and ignites._

_He jumps down from Snoke’s throne and swings at her, fury in his eyes. She parries his blows easily, then goes on the offensive. Rey seems to slowly gain the upper hand as they fight. Their fight brings them to the foot of Snoke’s throne, where one of Rey’s blows catches Kylo off guard and he falls. She stands above him and lowers her lightsaber, pointing it at his throat. Then, as suddenly as the fight began, Rey dissolves into mist._

_We see Kylo from Snoke’s perspective just as a burst of Force lightning hits him. Kylo writhes in pain as he scrambles around on the floor to look at Snoke. Cut to Snoke, who has risen from his throne again, this time in anger. He Force-grabs Kylo and throws him against the wall. Kylo crumples to the ground in pain._

Snoke, furiously: You are too obsessed with this scavenger who has risen up against you! The sight of her alone blinds you to your senses. Could you not feel that it was not her? And why is it that I can conjure up a mere image of her strong enough to beat you?

 

_Snoke reaches behind him and Force-grabs Kylo’s helmet from where it had been resting on the floor. He throws it against the wall too, where it shatters._

Snoke: You think this mask and your mighty Skywalker blood are enough to make you heir to Lord Vader? You unleash your anger, as he did, but you still cannot control it! Use it to consume others, not yourself! Until then, the girl will remain your superior.

 

_Shot of Kylo as Snoke shoots him with another burst of lightning. Kylo lies on the ground, breathing hard, before he pushes himself into a sitting position, wincing and looking at the shattered remnants of his helmet. He rises slowly to his feet and looks at Snoke. They stand face-to-face, inches apart. Cut to Kylo’s face. There is fury etched in every line of his face: fury directed at Rey, assuredly, but also at Snoke._

Kylo, spitting: I will find her. I will bring her to you. And I will kill her.

 

_Cut to a side shot of the two. Snoke’s fit of rage is over, and he regards Kylo thoughtfully, unimpressed by his apprentice’s bluster._

Snoke: You can do better than beating a barely-trained girl.

 

_We watch Snoke turn and walk away from Kylo. Close-up on Snoke’s face, his back still to Kylo as he speaks._

Snoke: You must do what you should have done long ago, and destroy Luke Skywalker.

 

_Snoke turns to face Kylo again, to see his reaction to this command. Close-up on Kylo. His expression is difficult to read. Different emotions flash across his face: anger, excitement, fear. When he speaks, his voice is calm, but there is a hint of venom in it._

Kylo: Yes, Supreme Leader.

_Kylo’s face fades and the scene transitions to a shot of a lone island in the middle of the ocean. The sun is setting behind the island, casting a pink light on everything which is especially soft in contrast to the glaring red of Snoke’s throne room. The sound of the surf is clear in the background. The camera pans around Ahch-To. We see the Falcon on a flat platform of rock; Luke’s X-Wing is parked next to it, but it is underwater, hidden beneath the waves._

_The camera pans eventually to two figures standing on a flat rock just above the ocean: Rey and Luke. The camera zooms in on them. Luke stands slightly behind Rey, his robes blowing in the sea breeze. Rey, dressed in her Resistance clothes and with her hair in 3 buns, is sitting cross-legged in a shallow pool of water, but the water does not touch her. It flows around her, but she has created a circular dry patch where she sits in the center of the pool. Close-up on Luke, who is looking down at Rey._

Luke, in a soothing, melodic tone: Breath, just breathe.

 

_Cut to Rey. Her eyes are closed and she is concentrating. She breathes slowly and evenly. The waves lap softly at the invisible barrier she has created. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: What do you feel in the water?

 

_Cut to Rey. She inhales slowly, and answers on the exhale._

Rey: Life. Life flows through the sea.

 

_She inhales again, breathing in the cool, salty air._

 

Rey: Everything is alive in the water. I can feel the Force in the waves.

 

_A slight frown appears on Rey’s face._

Rey: It’s so different from home.

 

_Cut to Luke. He looks away from Rey, gazing out over the water at the horizon._

Luke: What did you feel at home?

 

_Cut back to Rey. She gives a tiny shake of her head before answering._

Rey: Everything was dry, and dead. There were no beginnings, only endings.

_Cut to a shot of Luke and Rey from behind; all we can see are their silhouettes, framed by the glare of the dying sun._

Rey: It was so lonely.

_At these words, something changes. The ring of water around Rey suddenly collapses, soaking her clothes. The moment is shattered. Rey takes a huge breath as the camera cuts to her, eyes now open as she scrambles backwards out of the water. She sits on the rock next to Luke, breathing hard._

Rey: I lost it, I’m sorry. Talking about home—

 

_Cut to Luke, who kneels down beside her, a kind look in his eyes as he gently cuts her off._

Luke: Do not apologize for feeling. Feeling gives you your natural ability; training gives you control. The stronger the feeling, the more difficult it is to control.

 

_Cut to Rey, who nods, still catching her breath._

Rey: I’m just not used to these feelings. Thinking about home reminds me how strange it is to be around water.

 

_Cut to Luke as Rey inhales deeply to calm her breathing. Luke’s features show a trace of guilt at Rey’s words. Cut back to Rey as she looks at him._

Rey: Can I try again?

 

_Cut to Luke. The guilty look has passed._

Luke: Not now. Be patient. You are learning far more quickly than I did. I have no doubt that your power will eventually surpass mine.

 

_Cut to Rey. She looks up at Luke, confused._

Rey: Thank you, but Master Skywalker, I don’t understand. I don’t understand how I could ever be more powerful than you. You saved the galaxy.

 

_Cut back to Luke as he stands, his expression suddenly dark and brooding. He turns away from Rey and walks to the edge of the rock, looking off into the setting sun._

Luke: And now I’m expected to have the answer yet again, but I don’t. That’s why I came here. I had to learn the true nature of the Force, and how I lost sight of it.

 

_Cut to Rey, who is still sitting, looking up at the old Jedi with her same puzzled expression. She rises and water from the pool runs down her legs._

Rey, gently: If you told me what happened, I could learn from it. I still don’t know why you won’t come back yourself.

 

_Shot of Luke’s back. He glances over his shoulder, looking back at Rey, then turns to face her. There is a haunted look of deep regret on his face._

Luke: You always need to keep hope alive, Rey. Hope is your most powerful ally, even stronger than the Force, and my failure crushed my hope. I don’t want to do the same to you.

 

_Cut to Rey. She looked slightly scared at these words, but also concerned. She takes a step closer to Luke. When she speaks, the emotion in her voice is evident._

Rey: You won’t. Everything you’re teaching me, it’s what I’ve been doing my entire life: reaching out with my feelings, hoping that one day I’ll finally find what I’ve been looking for.

 

_Rey looks down, her expression now sad. She turns away from Luke as the camera cuts to him. He looks guilty again. Close-up on Rey, who stands with her back to Luke._

Rey: Hope is all I’ve ever had. You can’t crush that. Neither can Kylo Ren. Nobody can.

 

_Cut back to Luke’s face. Thoughts are running through his brain, causing him conflict which is clear in his eyes. The conflict resolves, and he steels himself as though about to face a great challenge._

_Cut to Rey. She looks up when Luke begins to speak, and turns to face him. Close-up on Luke’s face._

Luke, wearily: Yes, I saved the galaxy. I saw a sliver of good in the most evil dark lord of all time, my father.

 

_Cut to Rey, who looks shocked. Luke hadn’t told her Darth Vader was his father until now. Cut back to Luke, who doesn’t meet Rey’s eyes. He is lost in his past, surrounded by ghosts._

Luke: I became a legend for it, for seeing something in him that nobody else could. But years later, when Leia and Han—

 

_Luke’s voice breaks slightly on his old friend’s name. He takes a breath, then continues._

Luke: When they needed me to see something in their son, I couldn’t. I saw the Light in Darth Vader, but I couldn’t see the Dark in Ben Solo, and so I was powerless to stop it. Only once my nephew was consumed by darkness did I realize.

 

_Luke turns away from Rey, looking out at the ocean again. Rey steps towards him. Cut to Rey’s face. She looks like she wants to say something, but words fail her. Cut back to Luke, his back to Rey._

Luke: I failed to sense Ben’s turn because of my fixation on the Light. There was always Light in him, so that was all I saw. I couldn’t help a child resist the Dark Side. I allowed Snoke to prey on him. And now that child…

 

_Luke trails off. He doesn’t need to finish his sentence. The weight of Kylo Ren’s unspoken monstrosities hangs in the air._

_Close-up on Rey. She can sense the raw pain of Luke’s memories, and does not speak right away._

Rey, softly: I could have killed him.

 

_Cut to Luke. He turns to look at her, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Cut back to Rey._

Rey: When we were escaping from Starkiller Base, and he stopped us.

 

_Something dark crosses Rey’s face, and a cold look enters her eyes._

Rey: I nearly took his life that day.

 

_The shadow lifts, and she steps towards Luke._

Rey: But I didn’t. I felt the Dark Side, the temptation, and it scared me. Kylo Ren was not your failure. He chose the Dark Side, and his actions are his own.

 

_Cut to Luke, who is unconvinced. He sits on a rock, as though the emotional weight of his story has made him too weary to stand. Rey stands above him, the light from the setting sun illuminating her youthful face. Luke looks up at her._

Luke: He was young; it was my duty to guide him. Now, my duty is to guide you. You must come to see not only the Light, but the Dark too.

 

_Cut to Rey. She looks insulted._

 

Rey: But I’ll never join Kylo Ren. I won’t fail you as he did. I’ll live in the Light, always.

 

_Cut back to Luke._

 

Luke, sighing: Spoken like a true Jedi. But the old Jedi Order was foolish to think that anyone can live solely in the Light. There is Light and Dark in all of us.

 

_Close-up on Rey. She looks puzzled by this statement, and doesn’t say anything in response. Cut to Luke, who pauses for a moment before continuing._

Luke: We must help those who are tempted by the Dark Side; we must help them find whatever Light they have left, as I did for Anakin Skywalker.

 

_We see a flicker of recognition in Rey’s eyes at the mention of Vader’s true name. Perhaps she heard stories of the famous Jedi Knight while living on Jakku. Cut back to Luke as he continues, a darkness suddenly clouding his expression._

Luke: And those who refuse to see it must be destroyed. But I cannot destroy Ben Solo, not when it was my mistake that caused his fall.

 

_Cut to Rey, who has a determined look in her eyes. Despite Luke’s regret, Rey cannot bring herself to feel any sympathy towards the man who killed his own father._

Rey, earnestly: He was not strong enough to fight his demons, even when you were showing him the Light. You are not responsible for Kylo Ren. You must return.

 

_Cut to Luke, who shakes his head._

Luke: My time has come and gone.

 

_Cut to Rey, who also shakes her head, dismissing Luke’s doubts._

Rey: You’re wrong. The galaxy needs us both. And I…

 

_Rey trails off. She looks away from Luke, out at the horizon. Light from the dying sun glimmers in her eyes. For the first time, something like doubt clouds her expression._

Rey: I can’t do this alone.

 

_Abrupt cut to Canto Bight. The casino is loud and boisterous, in direct contrast to the calm of Ahch-To. Finn, Poe, and BB-8 are weaving through the gambling tables, looking around for Rose. They emerge from the crowd next to a window. We see them turn back to look at the crowd and continue to scan faces. Close-up on Finn._

Finn: There are thousands of people here. We’re never going to just bump into her.

 

_Cut to Poe._

 

Poe: We have time. We’ll find her.

 

_Cut to Finn._

 

Finn: But she could be anywhere! I—

 

_Cut to BB-8 as he abruptly cuts Finn off with several beeps, offering his input. Cut to Poe, who smiles down at his droid._

Finn: What’d he say?

 

Poe: He said she won’t be just anywhere. She’s a hacker, in a casino.

 

_Cut back to Finn, who finishes the statement as he picks up on Poe’s train of thought._

Finn, excitedly: If she can hack the First Order, I’ll bet she’s a damn good gambler.

 

_Cut to Poe._

Poe: Exactly.

 

_The two turn and weave their way back through the casino, towards the bar, followed by BB-8. The long, curving bar is made of glass, and behind it are towering shelves of brightly colored drinks. Bartenders move around behind it, handing out delicate, fancy glasses to the guests. Poe and Finn force their way to the front, and Poe waves at one of the bartenders._

Poe: Hey!

 

_Cut to the bartender. When he turns, we see that he is a much older Lando Calrissian._

Lando: What can I get for you?

 

_Cut to Poe._

Poe: Where’s the top table here?

 

_Cut to Lando._

Lando: The best gamblers don’t play down here. The highest rollers are upstairs if you’re interested in watching… I assume you won’t be playing.

 

_Cut to Poe and Finn. Poe looks slightly offended at the implication that he wouldn’t be a good gambler, but Finn puts his hand on Poe’s shoulder to keep him from retorting._

Finn: Thank you, sir.

 

_Cut to Lando, who nods back. He turns back to the drinks as Finn and Poe turn away from him, but once their backs are to him he looks over his shoulder and watches their retreating backs, recognition in his eyes. Cut to Finn and Poe, who are walking through the crowd towards a wide, majestic staircase covered in black velvet._

Poe: So we find her, send the message, and get back to Crait before the First Order can blink.

 

Finn: Let’s focus on just finding her first.

 

Poe: Hey, let’s have a little confidence!

 

_BB-8 beeps his agreement, and Finn glances down at him, unconvinced. We watch the group from behind as they reach the staircase. The camera cuts to a close-up of the left side of the stairs, where, unbeknownst to Poe and Finn, DJ is watching them. His eyes follow them as they climb the stairs._

_Cut to a door opening as Poe, Finn, and BB-8 enter the second floor gambling room. We see the room from their perspective. It has high, black ceilings and its glass walls are filled with the black night sky. Doors, also made of glass, open onto individual balconies. The black carpet matches the ceiling, and the room is much quieter than the hustle and bustle downstairs. A live band plays slow, soft music in the corner. There are only a handful of tables, and the First Order insignia is evident on several lapels. Close-up on Finn, who looks nervous. The group moves slowly away from the door._

Finn, quietly: Poe, be careful.

 

_Cut to Poe, who is also eyeing the abundant First Order symbols._

Poe, also quietly: I know.

 

_Cut between several shots of the First Order-affiliated guests. They look… normal. Their faces are not scarred or cruel. Cut back to Finn, who is pointing._

Finn: There she is.

 

_The camera follows Finn’s gaze before cutting to a close-up of a woman, clearly the same one from the hologram. She is sitting at a table with three other people: two human males and a blue creature. Her cards lie face down on the table in front of her, and her hand rests on a glass of pink liquid. She wears a simple black dress, and her hair is done up in an elaborate bun._

_Cut back to Finn and Poe, who look relieved. Cut back to the woman as she flips her cards over, revealing her winning hand and causing her opponents to cry out in dismay. The dealer collects everyone’s cards before pulling a slip of paper from under the table, which he signs and hands over to the woman so that she can claim her winnings. The woman stands and picks up her drink, then turns around and walks straight into Poe and Finn._

Poe: Miss, can we speak with you?

 

Hacker, not impolitely: Who are you?

 

Poe, looking at her beseechingly: Someone who needs your services.

 

_The hacker eyes them, trying to get a feel for them. Apparently satisfied, she nods towards one of the balcony doors. She walks towards it and Finn and Poe hurry after her, BB-8 rolling behind them. We watch from outside as the group exits into the night air. The hacker closes the glass door behind them and turns to Finn and Poe, waiting for them to speak first._

Poe: I’m Poe Dameron, Commander of the Resistance fleet, and this is Finn. We need to send a message without the First Order finding out, and we were told you could help.

 

_Cut to the hacker, who mulls over his words, her face impossible to read._

Hacker: My name is Rose. It’s always a pleasant surprise to meet Resistance fighters here.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe, who are looking at her in anticipation._

Rose: I’ve helped General Organa before, and I’m more than willing to help her again. But it’s become more difficult. Recently, the First Order hasn’t been letting much slip past their blockade.

 

_Cut to Finn, who stares at her intensely._

Finn: But you can help us, can’t you?

 

_Cut to Rose, who walks to the edge of the balcony and looks out over the water, her back to Finn and Poe._

Rose: Yes. But you may get caught.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe standing behind her._

Finn: We might? What about you?

 

_Cut to Rose, who laughs._

Rose: I make my living helping the Resistance here. I know how to slip through the First Order’s fingers. But you two…

 

_Rose turns to look at them._

Rose: The First Order has been after a prize like you ever since their defeat on Starkiller Base. Helping you is a risk.

 

_Rose pauses, thinking. Cut to Finn and Poe, who wait for her verdict anxiously._

Rose: But it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe, who look at her gratefully._

Finn: Thank you.

 

Poe: Where do we go to send the message?

 

_Cut to Rose._

Rose: Follow me.

_Rose opens the door and the group reenters the casino. As the door closes behind them, it dissolves into a low stone hut on Ahch-To. It is nighttime. Cut to inside, where Rey is sleeping peacefully on a low bunk. Her eyes open suddenly, however, and she sits up, looking around. She looks out one of the small windows of her hut, listening carefully. Something is calling her. She swings her legs off her bed and sticks them into her boots as she stands. She picks up Anakin’s lightsaber from her bedside table, then heads for the door of her hut._

_Cut to a different hut, where Luke sits on the edge of his bed, hands on his knees, head bowed. He looks old and worn-down. There is a small fire burning in the middle of the floor, and it illuminates the lines on his face. Luke looks up at the sound of a voice, his father’s voice. As Anakin begins speaking, cut to the Force Ghost who has appeared in the hut._

Anakin: You know Rey is right.

 

_Cut to Luke, who blinks in surprise at the appearance of his father._

Luke: Father.

 

_Cut to Anakin._

Anakin: You blame yourself for too much, Luke. The temptation of the Dark Side is strong: you yourself felt its pull, long ago. Not all of us are able to resist it as you were.

 

_Cut to Luke._

Luke: But father, when the time came you saw that there was Light left in you. You felt the balance. My nephew sees only darkness. He rejected me and my teachings. I failed Leia and Han—

 

_Again, Luke’s voice cracks on his old friend’s name. Cut to Anakin, who looks disappointed in his son, but there is also empathy in his eyes._

Anakin: You could’ve helped Han, if you were able to sense his danger. Do you still feel it is wise to shut yourself off from the Force?

 

_Cut to Luke, who has a terrible guilt on his face. He looks away from Anakin, out one of the dark windows._

Luke, with a deep sadness in his voice: I was trying to start over, and see the Force with fresh eyes.

 

_Luke pauses._

Luke, in a defeated voice: I never foresaw how terrible the consequences would be.

_Cut to Anakin, who sits on a chair beside the fire and looks at his son._

Anakin: You cannot learn by ignoring your power. The Force has been calling you back all along, and the call has only been getting louder since Rey came here.

 

_Luke turns away from the window and looks back at Anakin._

Luke: What can I do to help, father? I can’t kill my own nephew, any more than I could kill you.

 

_Cut to Anakin._

Anakin, harshly: And what about Rey? She won’t stay here forever. What will you do then?

 

_Cut to Luke, who wears a conflicted, regretful expression._

Luke: If I could walk her path for her, I would.

 

_Cut to Anakin, who looks away from Luke and stares into the fire._

Anakin: Your path doesn’t end on this island. You must return, Luke, or you place the weight of the galaxy on Rey’s shoulders alone. Would you wish that on her?

 

_Cut to Luke, whose eyes blaze._

Luke, defensively: Of course not.

 

_Cut to Anakin, who does not reply. He stands and walks to the window, looking out on the darkened island. The camera cuts to Rey, who is making her way down the Jedi steps. Cut back to Anakin._

Anakin, without looking at Luke: Pain lies ahead for her. You could ease that pain.

 

_Luke rises. A great sadness fills his eyes as he joins his father out the window, staring out at the night._

 

_Cut back to Rey as she reaches the bottom of the Jedi steps. She does not walk towards the Falcon, however, but instead turns towards a slippery pathway leading all the way down to the water’s edge. She ignites Anakin’s lightsaber, using its glow to guide her way as she picks her way carefully across the rocks._

_When she reaches the water, she steps onto a large, flat stone which sticks out into the water. The water is calm; she seems to be in a large cove. High stone cliffs rise above her. Rey walks along the rock until she reaches the end, where she closes the saber and kneels down, peering into the black water. We see her reflection as she does. Her face ripples as small waves distort her features._

_Her reflection slowly fades, leaving the water still and very black. Cut to the real Rey, who frowns. Cut back to the water, where new images are taking shape: a blue lightsaber clashing on red; a cry of excruciating pain; someone’s hands covered in blood; the silhouette of someone—Rey—standing all alone against a bright backdrop. These images pass, and Rey’s real face slowly reappears. Cut to a shot from the side of her kneeling over the water._

_Suddenly, a monster erupts from the water, soaring clear over Rey and landing behind her. Rey pushes herself to her feet and ignites Anakin’s saber, cornered at the edge of the rock with nothing but water behind her. She stares at the creature, and the camera follows her gaze. The creature is reminiscent of a snake: water drips down its skin, which is torn in many places, leaving gaping wounds that expose mangled muscle and splintered bone beneath. It has no eyes, only horns and a mouth full of fangs, which it opens in a terrible snarl at Rey._

_Cut to Rey, who dodges the monster as it lunges at her with shocking quickness. She slashes at it, creating a new gash in its skin, but this has no effect. It snaps at her and she ducks, cutting it again. Again, the blow does nothing, and when she straightens she tries to run past the creature back towards the shore, but the creature’s tail whacks her in the back of the head and sends her face-first into the rock._

_She scrambles to her feet, breathing hard, holding Anakin’s saber defensively. The snake-like thing blocks her path. She tracks it carefully with her eyes as it sways slowly back and forth. Suddenly, too quick for her to react, the thing whips its tail around again, hitting Rey full in the chest this time. She flies backwards and lands in the water with an enormous splash._

_As she hits the water, cut to Luke, who is now standing at the bottom of the Jedi steps. He hears the splash, and looks up._

Luke: Rey?

 

_He notices the pathway she took and hurries towards it. When he enters the cove, all is quiet and still. The monster is nowhere to be seen. He looks around, unsettled by the calm. The camera matches his gaze as he notices the slightest ripples remaining from Rey’s fall._

_Cut to an underwater shot of Rey, who is drowning; she never learned how to swim on Jakku. Her limbs thrash violently in the water, and her eyes are open in terror as bubbles stream from her mouth. As the water suffocates her, her body starts to go limp. Just as all seems lost, a hand grabs her by the back of her shirt and drags her upwards._

_We see Luke and Rey’s heads break the surface. Rey coughs and gasps as Luke pulls her with him to the rock, and she grabs onto it gratefully. Luke hauls himself up onto the rock and sits with his feet still in the water, breathing hard from the exertion of rescuing her. Rey drags herself out of the water, desperate to be on land again. She sits, still spluttering, in the middle of the rock, as far from the water as she can get._

Rey, breathlessly: Thanks.

 

_Cut to Luke, who looks at her gravely but says nothing. Cut back to Rey, who takes a deep breath to calm herself before speaking next. She looks around the cove with fear in her eyes._

Rey: What is this place?

 

_Cut to Luke, who is gazing around the dark cove._

Luke: For an island of light to exist, there must be a place of darkness on it.

 

_Cut to Rey, her breathing finally slowing. Cut to Luke, who looks at her._

Luke: It showed you something?

 

_Cut to Rey, who returns his gaze apprehensively and nods timidly._

Rey: It found my fears.

 

_Cut back to Luke._

Luke: Whatever you saw was the expression of the darkness in you.

 

_Cut to Rey, who looks scared and confused._

Rey: That was me?

 

_Cut to Luke, who shrugs slightly._

Luke: It was part of you. As you grow stronger, the Dark Side will show you things, and you must learn from what you see. But proceed with caution.

 

_Cut to Rey._

Rey: Learn from the Dark Side?

 

_Cut to Luke, who nods._

Luke: Live in the Light, but do not ignore the Dark. If you do, the Force will find another way to keep the balance.

 

_Cut to Rey._

Rey: I don’t understand.

 

_Cut to Luke. He sighs before replying._

Luke: When my father died, there was finally balance in the Force. It was my responsibility to keep that balance, but I feared the Dark Side. I refused to let it manifest in me, so it manifested in Ben Solo instead. Balance, always.

 

_Cut to Rey, who sits, deep in thought. After a moment, Luke stands. Rey pushes herself to her feet also. Luke reaches out and Force-summons Anakin’s lightsaber from the seafloor, where it had settled after the creature’s blow knocked it from Rey’s hand. The weapon shoots out of the water and Luke catches it. Rey looks at him in surprise: this is the first time she has seen Luke use the Force since she’s been on Ahch-To. Luke hands her the lightsaber, then walks past her. Rey looks down at the saber, then follows him._

_Cut to Rey’s hut just as the door swings open. Rey enters the hut and collapses onto her bed, setting Anakin’s lightsaber back on her table. Luke stands just inside the doorway and contemplates her as she removes her boots. She looks up at him when he speaks._

Luke: Understanding the Force is a burden, Rey. Nobody is able to bear it easily.

 

_Cut to Rey. She mulls over his words as she swings her legs up onto the bed and pulls the blanket up around her. When she speaks, she doesn’t look at Luke but instead stares at her feet, now hidden by the blanket._

Rey: And is it my burden alone? When it’s time for me to face Kylo Ren again, will you be with me?

 

_Cut to Luke. His face is unreadable, and he does not respond to her. Cut to Rey. Tears slowly begin to seep out of her eyes. She looks at him now._

Rey: I’m not ready.

 

_Cut to Luke as he returns her gaze sadly._

Luke: You will be.

 

_Cut to Rey, who clearly doesn’t believe him. She rolls over so she is facing towards the wall. Luke turns and puts his hand on the door, preparing to leave, but he pauses and looks back at Rey._

_The camera follows his gaze: she looks very small under her thin thin blanket. He hesitates, looking at her sadly before he takes a breath and crosses the hut quietly. He takes down a thicker blanket from a shelf, then walks to the bed and drapes the blanket over Rey. She opens her eyes and looks up at him in surprise, but says nothing._

_Luke sits on the bed next to her. She rolls away from him again, closing her eyes again and snuggling deeper into the blankets. He gazes at her resting face, affection in his eyes but also something very sad. The camera follows Luke’s gaze to Rey’s face. She is no longer crying, and it seems that perhaps there is the slightest trace of a smile on her lips. Cut to a wider shot of the two of them, sitting together in the darkened hut, Luke waiting for her to find sleep once more._

_The scene fades to a shot of Finn, Poe, Rose, and BB-8 from behind as they walk down a drab hallway with windows set in the wall every few feet. They are far from the main casino, and there are no lights or barges visible out the dark windows. The three humans have changed clothes, and are now dressed as casino workers. Their footsteps echo as they walk. They stop at the end of the hallway, where there is a locked door._

_Close-up on Rose as she briefs Finn and Poe on the plan._

Rose: If there are guards, or if anyone else asks, we’re requesting a delivery of new barges.

 

_Cut to Poe and Finn, who nod. Cut back to Rose, who pulls an ID from the pocket of her stolen shirt. She scans it and pushes the door open._

_We see the next room from her perspective: it is long, narrow, and windowless with sleek black floors and metal walls. Closed doors are spaced evenly along the walls. There is nobody in sight. We see Rose beckon Finn and Poe to come with her as she steps forward._

_Rose leads them to one of the doors, then holds up her hand to tell them to stop. She leans in, listening for sounds on the other side. Hearing none, she scans her stolen ID, then pushes the door open. The group hurries inside. Cut to the room’s interior as Rose closes the door behind them. The room is tiny, little more than a closet, with one chair set in front of a wall of controls. Rose sits in the chair and flips a few switches._

Rose: Where is this signal going?

 

_Cut to Poe._

Poe: Ahch-To.

 

_Cut to Rose, who looks up at him disbelievingly._

Rose, incredulously: Ahch-To?

 

_Cut to Finn._

Finn: You can get it there, can’t you?

 

_Cut back to Rose, who has begun to type. Long strings of numbers and letters begin to appear on the screen in front of her._

Rose: Yes, but it’s far. The farther the signal has to travel, the more likely it is the First Order will intercept it, no matter how well I cloak it.

 

_Finn and Poe look at each other anxiously. Rose continues typing._

Rose, without looking up: Your message?

 

_Cut to Poe squatting down to BB-8. The droid extends a small compartment, reminiscent of when his master gave him the map to Luke Skywalker. Poe removes a small cylinder from the compartment, then stands. He hands it to Rose, who taps a few buttons, then inserts the cylinder into a small opening on the panel._

_Cut to a different control panel; this one is on a First Order Star Destroyer. An alert of some kind pops up on the screen. The officer working at the panel frowns and taps a few buttons, but the alert doesn’t go away._

Officer: General Hux.

 

_Cut to Hux, who was standing at the front of the bridge, staring out at Canto Bight. He turns and walks to the officer._

Hux: Yes?

 

Officer: We have unusual activity from the planet’s communications center.

 

_Shot of Hux’s intrigued face._

Hux: Can you stop it?

 

_The officer types a few different commands, but none of them have any effect._

Officer: No. They’re subverting our network. I can’t access their message either.

 

_Cut to Hux, his brain running through his options. He turns abruptly and paces back to the front of the bridge. He holds a button on the main panel, and a hologram of Snoke sitting on his throne appears. Hux bows his head slightly before speaking._

 

Hux: Supreme Leader. We have picked up signal interference.

 

_Close-up on Snoke’s hologram. His mangled face registers no response to this news._

Snoke: It is the Resistance.

 

_Cut to Hux. He doesn’t question Snoke’s definitive proclamation._

Hux: What are your orders?

 

_Cut to Snoke._

Snoke: Allow them to send their message. They are contacting Skywalker. This will allow us to prepare a welcome party for him.

 

_Snoke laughs cruelly, and Hux nods._

Hux: As you wish, Supreme Leader.

_Cut back to the small room on Canto Bight. Rose is still typing. She flips a few switches, types some more, then presses a button and waits, watching something on the screen. Poe and Finn watch her as she works. Something beeps and Rose releases the button, exhaling._

Rose: Your message is on its way. Lets get out of here.

 

_Rose removes the message from the panel and hands it back to Poe, who drops it on the ground. Close-up of the small tube as Poe crushes it under his boot. Cut to a shot of the hallway as the group exits the room and closes the door behind them. We move with them as they hurry back towards the main hallway. Rose opens the door with her stolen ID and the group peers out: there are no guards, nor any sound of footsteps. The hallway is deserted._

Finn, surprised: They didn’t realize.

 

_Cut to Rose as she slips out the door, followed by the others._

Rose: I hope you’re right. Do you have a plan for getting out of here?

 

_Cut to Poe._

Poe: We can get back to our ship, but the First Order won’t let us leave without clearance markers.

 

_Cut to Rose, who is thinking hard. She comes to a resolution as they reach another door and stop. She pulls out her ID, preparing to scan it._

Rose: We don’t have time for that. Luckily for us, I know someone who can help.

 

_Cut to Finn._

Finn, confused: Us? Aren’t you staying here?

 

_Close-up on Rose, her expression suddenly one of hard conviction._

Rose: No. The First Order took over my home planet and destroyed everything I’d ever loved, including my sister. I’ve been helping General Organa ever since she rescued me from the home I no longer recognized.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe. They weren’t expecting a story. Cut back to Rose._

 

Rose: It’s time for me to prove my loyalty to her. I’m done hiding.

 

_Rose turns and scans her ID. The door slides open with a hiss and she walks through it without looking back at Finn and Poe. They glance at each other, then the camera cuts to a shot of their backs as they follow her. The door closes behind them, filling the screen with black as the two halves of the door click back together._

_At the sound of the door closing, the scene_ _fades into Snoke’s mangled face. He is not in his throne room, but a low canyon. Twisted spires of rock stretch to the horizon in all directions. Snoke is facing the middle of the canyon, watching something intensely. The camera flips around so we can see what he is looking at._

_Kylo sits cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed. A small TIE Fighter floats in the air a few feet above his head. His concentration is the only thing keeping it there. Close-up on Kylo’s face. His expression is calm, but his features twitch occasionally as if from mild discomfort or annoyance._

_Suddenly Kylo rises and roars as he makes a tearing gesture with his hands. The fighter splits in two with the motion, and the separate pieces fly outward in opposite directions before landing and skidding across with ground, causing a terrible screeching. The pieces finally slide to a halt amidst the wreckage of other fighters; this is not Kylo’s first time doing this exercise. Cut to Snoke, who is laughing. Kylo paces defiantly up to his master._

Snoke: You are learning. Once you can fully control the white-hot flames of your anger, nothing will stand in your way.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who looks down, suddenly not meeting Snoke’s sinister eyes. Cut back to Snoke, who takes a step closer to Kylo, his twisted frame looming above his apprentice._

Snoke: Do you doubt me? Do you doubt the power of the darkness?

 

_Cut to Kylo, who looks back up at Snoke, meeting his master’s gaze._

Kylo, darkly: Never. I have given everything to you, to the Dark Side.

 

_Kylo pauses and collects himself._

Kylo: Even my own father.

 

_Cut back to Snoke. He smiles, but this only serves to make his face even more twisted. He inhales through his mangled nose and looks away from Kylo, staring at a point somewhere above his head._

Snoke: Then you know that the Dark Side is the only path to victory for you.

 

_Cut to Kylo. He stares at his master. His expression has turned defiant, proud, but there is something cornered in his eyes as well._

Kylo: I will not fail.

 

_Cut back to Snoke. He looks away from Kylo, and does not answer right away. When he speaks, it is more to himself than Kylo._

Snoke: Your uncle was a fool to think you would not follow in the footsteps of Lord Vader. You were never strong with the Light Side.

 

_Cut to Kylo. It is clear from his expression that Snoke is right, and it is also clear that Snoke has touched a nerve. Cut back to Snoke, who now looks back at Kylo._

 

Snoke: Do you remember when I found you? When you still called yourself Ben Solo?

 

_Cut to Kylo. He is surprised by this unexpected turn in the conversation, and swallows before answering._

Kylo: Yes.

 

_Cut back to Snoke. He turns and paces towards the wall of the canyon, his back to Kylo as he speaks._

Snoke: You will never understand my excitement the first time I saw you. Your family has always been defined by darkness.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who doesn’t understand where Snoke is going with this. Cut back to Snoke, who looks back at Kylo, his face suddenly looking especially misshapen as a cruel expression passes over his features._

Snoke: You are lucky. Finding the darkness within yourself is not so easy for all of us. When I came here, I was a child with the seed of something much more living deep inside me.

 

_Snoke gestures around vaguely at the word “here,” referencing whatever planet he and Kylo are on. His expression grows darker as he talks about his past._

Snoke: I spent years here, learning the ways of the Dark Side. Without a master to guide me, it was difficult, sometimes even excruciating.

 

_The scars and deformations of Snoke’s face seem particularly prominent as he speaks. Shadows dance across his face. Cut to Kylo’s reaction. Kylo seems vaguely repulsed by his master’s words. It is unclear whether he has heard this story before. Cut back to Snoke as he resumes speaking._

Snoke: But I knew the darkness would flow from you with ease. It has always been your destiny.

 

_Cut back to Kylo. His expression is clouded as Snoke’s words stir his memories. Cut back to Snoke, who smiles his hideous smile at Kylo, as though they are sharing a joke._

 

Snoke: Only pure, absolute darkness can end the Jedi once and for all and restore order. That has always been clear.

 

_Cut back to Kylo, who bows his head, waiting for Snoke to continue, but his monologue is over. Kylo raises his head and meets Snoke’s eyes, unsure of what to say in response._

Kylo: Yes, Supreme Leader.

 

_Cut to Snoke, who eyes his apprentice, then laughs. Cut to Kylo, who is not in on whatever the joke is. Cut back to Snoke, who walks off, still laughing. Cut to Kylo, whose face has fallen. He stares after Snoke, glowering. He suddenly looks disheveled, afraid. Once Snoke is gone, he crouches down and grabs at his hair, growling to himself._

 

_Suddenly, Kylo rises angrily and lashes out at nothing, but his motion reverberates through the Force and shatters a stone spire across the canyon from him. Kylo looks at his hand, then flexes his fingers. He lashes out again, and again, spires shattering as he does so. He stops his foot on the ground, and a huge crack appears from where he contacts the rock. He stops, breathing heavily, and then all at once he turns his face towards the sky and lets out a primal roar._

_Cut to an aerial shot of Ahch-To. The island is peaceful and quiet, which is particularly striking after Kylo’s roar. The sun is rising, bathing everything in a soft light. Luke and Rey stand at the top of the Jedi steps, where they first saw each other. They look out on the rising sun. Close-up on Luke as he speaks to Rey. His face is impassive, peaceful._

Luke: It is time you learned to see the Force as it flows through the whole galaxy. Look beyond yourself, beyond this planet.

 

_Cut to Rey, who closes her eyes and breathes evenly and deliberately. There is a pause, then she gasps softly. When she speaks, it is as if she is describing a painting._

Rey: It looks like the dust storms on Jakku. The Light and the Dark being blown together and apart.

 

_Cut to Luke. He does not look at Rey, but continues to stare out at the water._

Luke: Where is the darkness the strongest?

 

_Cut back to Rey. Her voice falters slightly when she speaks._

Rey: It covers so much. But there’s one planet, far from here…

 

_Rey takes a breath suddenly as though she’s been punched._

Rey, frightened: What is that place?

 

_Cut to Luke, who bows his head but still does not look at Rey._

Luke: What do you feel?

 

_Cut to Rey._

Rey: Cold. Weak. Helpless. There’s nothing but pain there.

 

_She shudders noticeably. Cut to Luke. He waits for a moment, forcing Rey to feel the aura of the dark planet._

Luke: What about the Light?

 

_Cut to Rey, who shakes her head slightly as if trying to clear the dark planet from her mind. She speaks uncertainly at first, but her voice grows in confidence with each word._

Rey: There is light too. The bright spots are still shining, even with the darkness washing over them.

 

_Cut to Luke. He turns and looks at Rey for the first time._

Luke: And where is it strongest?

 

_Cut to Rey. She responds almost immediately this time, the answer already on the tip of her tongue._

Rey, excitedly: Right here. With you. With the Jedi.

 

_Rey’s eyes open and she looks at Luke eagerly, but her face falls as Luke raises a hand to stop her from saying anything else. He doesn’t speak either, but instead sits heavily on a stone and looks back out over the ocean._

Rey, concerned: Master Skywalker?

 

_Cut to Luke._

Luke: You’re wrong.

 

_Cut to Rey, who is looking at Luke with sadness and confusion._

Rey, uncertainly: The galaxy is putting its faith in you, Master Skywalker, whether you help them or not.

 

_Cut back to Luke. He looks affected by Rey’s words, clenching his hands slightly on his robes. He pauses for a moment before replying._

Luke: When the first Jedi built this place, they intended for it to be the bright center of the universe. You say that they succeeded. For centuries, they did. But no longer.

 

_Luke turns to Rey. We see her face. She is frowning at his words. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: The galaxy doesn’t need a blind religion anymore. The galaxy needs someone who had every reason to give up hope, but never did, not because of the Jedi or the Force, but because of her own heart. Hope lives in you, Rey, not the Jedi.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is taken aback by his words, and doesn’t know how to respond. Acceptance is what she’s always searched for, but she can’t process Luke’s implication that the whole galaxy is now looking to her._

_Cut to Luke, who smiles sadly at her. We see them both looking out at the water, the old man sitting and the young girl standing. The peaceful scene is suddenly shattered by an all-too-familiar roar: Chewbacca has appeared behind them. Rey whirls around._

Rey: Chewie!

 

_Chewie roars something as Luke watches. Cut to Rey’s face, her eyes suddenly wide._

Rey. They’ve made contact?

 

_Chewie nods and whines before turning and heading back towards the Jedi steps. Rey follows him without hesitation, but she stops when she realizes Luke isn’t at her side. She looks back. When she speaks, her voice is partly pleading, partly accusatory._

Rey: Will you at least hear what they have to say?

 

_Shot of Luke, who is lost in thought, staring back at the ocean. His face betrays nothing of his inner thoughts, but eventually he rises and follows Rey. Shot from above of Luke walking after his much younger apprentice._

_Cut to a shot of Chewie’s feet as he enters the Falcon, followed by Rey’s boots, then Luke’s. Next, cut to the main room in the Falcon as the group emerges from the hallway. Artoo is using his probe to connect to one of the control panels. He spins his head around and beeps something at Luke. Luke sighs at whatever it was, but a ghost of a smile appears around his lips as well. Close-up on Rey._

Rey: What is it?

 

_Cut to Artoo, who adjusts something with his probe, then spins his head and projects a hologram on the ground. Close-up on the hologram: it is Leia. Cut to Rey, who looks at Luke. Cut to Luke, whose face is frozen. He stares at his sister, waiting for her to speak._

Hologram Leia: Luke, Rey, if you’re receiving this it means you’re still on Ahch-To, safe and far from the First Order.

 

_Cut to Luke and Rey, who are watching intently. Cut back to the hologram._

 

Hologram Leia: Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Resistance. We have established a new base on Crait, which has yet to be discovered. But the First Order is monitoring nearly all galactic communication. We risked much to send you this message.

 

_Cut to Luke and Rey. Rey is looking at Luke, but Luke’s gaze remains fixed on his sister. Cut back to the hologram._

Hologram Leia: We have reached a stalemate; we can do almost nothing without running the risk of being detected. Our last option, which we’ve been avoiding as long as possible, is to engage the First Order directly, using the element of surprise: that is to say, you.

 

_Cut to Luke and Rey. Rey looks slightly sick at Leia’s words. Luke still has yet to show a reaction. Cut back to the hologram._

Hologram Leia: Snoke has spread his fleet across the galaxy, looking for us. We believe his palace will be relatively unprotected. Luke, if you can find him, show me where he is, and we will come with reinforcements.

 

_Cut to Luke and Rey. Rey looks frightened. Luke sits down on a chair, leaning down towards his sister’s hologram, staring at it with a mixture of sadness and affection. Cut back to the hologram._

Hologram Leia: I know this is desperate, and I’m sorry. If you have a better plan, meet us on Crait. If not… I’ll be waiting for your signal, Luke.

 

_Cut to Luke. He stares with an empty gaze at his sister’s hologram. Cut back to the hologram._

 

Hologram Leia: And Rey… Finn is alive and well. In fact, he insisted on helping send this message.

 

_Leia vanishes. Cut to Rey. She smiles in surprise and relief at the welcome news about Finn. Cut to Luke, who is still staring at the spot on the floor where his sister’s hologram stood._

_Cut back to Rey, who shakes herself from her thoughts of Finn and turns to Luke expectantly. She walks around so she’s standing directly in front of him, forcing him to look at least at her shoes._

Rey: This is what we’ve been waiting for! They need us!

 

_Chewie roars his agreement. Cut to Luke, who keeps his head down for a beat before slowly raising his eyes to Rey. Cut to Rey._

Rey, emphatically: Master Skywalker, you heard your sister! We’re their last hope!

 

_Cut to Luke, who still seems lost in thought and won’t fully meet Rey’s eyes._

Luke: Kylo Ren is with Snoke.

 

_Cut to Rey, who doesn’t understand why this is important._

Rey: If we face them together, we can buy enough time for the Resistance. This could end the war!

 

_Cut to Luke, who now meets Rey’s gaze full on and shakes his head slowly._

Luke: I can’t face him. I can’t kill my own nephew.

 

_Cut to Rey, who slowly realizes what Luke is saying: his mind hasn’t been changed since she first got there. He won’t leave his island. Rey’s shoulders slump as her energy and drive to act leak out of her. The conflict is plain on her face: she wants to help, but she knows she can’t do it alone. She sits down and stares at Luke, but he is looking at the floor again, at the spot where his hologram sister stood. Chewie and Artoo still stand by the controls, forming an odder but more comfortable pair than the two humans sitting across from each other._

_This shot fades to the exterior of the casino on Canto Bight. We can see a door leading to a flight of stairs, which leads down to a lone landing platform. A black rectangular shuttle sits on the platform. The area is quiet but for the soft lapping of the waves on the landing platform._

_Cut to a close-up of the door as Finn, Rose, Poe, and BB-8 burst through it. Poe looks out at the water and inhales the sea breeze, relieved to be free from the casino. Cut to Finn, who has his eyes fixed warily on the black shuttle._

_We see Rose hurrying down the steps towards the shuttle. Poe starts to follow her, but Finn puts his hand out and nods at the ship._

 

Finn: That’s a First Order shuttle.

 

_Cut to a shot of the shuttle as Rose approaches it. We hear a hissing sound as a ramp drops from the belly of the ship. A man emerges from it to greet Rose. His legs appear first, then his torso, and finally his face becomes visible as he ducks out from underneath the shuttle: Lando. Rose smiles at him as she steps onto the ramp, disappearing into the shuttle behind him. Lando looks up at Finn and Poe. Cut to Finn and Poe. They recognize him as the bartender from earlier, but they eye him carefully._

Finn: Who are you?

 

_Cut back to Lando. The question stirs his emotions._

Lando: Lando Calrissian. A friend of General Organa since the days of the Rebel Alliance.

 

_Cut back to Finn and Poe. They can see Lando is telling the truth, and they look at each other with relieved expressions before taking a couple of steps down towards the platform._

Finn: How did you get this ship?

 

_Cut to Lando, who smiles devilishly._

Lando: Even old pirates have a few tricks up their sleeves. And if we want to contact the Resistance without being discovered, we have to do it from a First Order ship. Now let’s get out of here.

 

_Lando beckons to them, then turns and disappears back into the belly of the ship. BB-8 rolls happily up the ramp after him. Poe and Finn hurry down the rest of the stairs and make their way towards the ship, but they stop at the sound of a voice._

DJ: Going somewhere?

 

_The two men whirl around. DJ stands in the frame of the door they just passed through. Cut to Finn, who can’t believe they’ve been caught so close to their escape._

Finn: Please, we gave you your money.

 

_Cut to DJ._

DJ: That was when I thought you were just Resistance. I didn’t realize you were heroes. The First Order would pay handsomely for you.

_DJ pulls a communication device from one of his pockets. His finger hovers over the button. Poe and Finn look at each other desperately. Poe reaches for a blaster that isn’t there as he steps towards DJ._

Poe: Don’t!

 

_Cut to DJ. A shadow passes over his face._

DJ: Why shouldn’t I? Your friend, she and I come from the same planet. But your precious princess didn’t save the day for everyone. I was lucky enough to escape without her help. My boyfriend, not so much. He died on Starkiller Base.

 

_Cut to Finn and Poe, both taken aback by this news. Close-up on Poe, who composes himself before answering._

Poe: The First Order is responsible for his death. If you sell us out, all you’re doing is giving them more power.

 

_Cut to DJ._

DJ: The Resistance had a chance to save him. His blood is on your hands too.

 

_Cut to Poe. There is a tense pause where he looks at Finn, then back at DJ before responding._

Poe: Help them or help us, but the bloodshed is never going to stop as long as the First Order controls the galaxy. Make your choice.

 

_Cut to DJ. He still holds the communication device next to his mouth, but the camera cuts to a close-up of his finger as he slides it slowly off the button. Cut back to his face. He looks tormented. Cut to Poe._

Poe: We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down. Nobody can bring back the man you love, but if you let us go we can save others from his same fate.

 

_Close-up on Finn as he watches DJ’s reaction to Poe’s words. Close-up on DJ._

DJ: The spark.

 

_Cut to Poe, who nods, staring at DJ. Cut back to DJ. He slowly lowers the device and stares at Finn and Poe. There is a long pause where DJ looks at the two men. Finally, he jerks his chin towards the shuttle._

DJ: Go.

_Cut to a shot of the cockpit as Finn and Poe enter. Lando is sitting in the pilot’s seat, with Rose behind him. As the two enter, Lando begins to flip controls._

Lando: What took you so long?

 

Poe: Got held up.

 

_Poe slides into the co-pilot’s seat, and Finn sits behind him. Lando turns to Rose._

Lando: Can you get a message to the Resistance once we’re clear?

 

_Cut to Rose, who nods._

Rose: The First Order is overconfident about how much they can trust their own. Making contact from this ship won’t be a problem.

 

_Cut to Finn, who smiles at Rose’s words. Cut back to Rose as she gets up and heads into a different area of the ship to access the communication network. Cut to Poe, who pushes a few buttons on his side of the control panel._

Poe: This thing is a clunky piece of junk, isn’t it?

 

Lando: I don’t think the First Order wants their officers taking just anything out for a joyride.

 

_There is a grumbling sound from the engines, and the shuttle begins to rise into the air. Cut to DJ’s face. He watches the shuttle take off, and he tracks its ascent with a distant expression on his face. Whatever he is seeing in his mind’s eye, it isn’t the shuttle. After a beat, he looks down and turns to the door which leads back to the casino. Cut back to the cockpit._

Finn, leaning forward: Won’t the owner notice you stole it?

Lando, laughing: The owner ordered so many drinks I’d be surprised if he even remembers he owns it.

 

_We see the ship rising higher into the air and turning, preparing to leave the planet behind. Cut back to inside the cockpit._

Poe: We need to get out of here fast, especially if that Destroyer tries to stop us.

 

Lando, confused: Stop their own ship?

 

Poe: I don’t want to give them any time to get suspicious. Have you checked the hyperdrive?

 

_Close-up of Lando smiling. A misty fondness enters his eyes as he looks at Poe._

Lando: It is in perfect condition. Always the need for speed. Han would be proud.

 

_Close up of Poe glancing at Lando, returning his smile. This is the highest compliment the talented pilot could receive._

_We see the shuttle soar away from the bright lights of Canto Bight, towards the Star Destroyer looming above the planet. Cut back to inside the cockpit. All three men wear anxious expressions, but they remain calm. Cut to the exterior of the ship as it floats harmlessly past the Destroyer, then vanishes as it jumps into hyperspace._

_Cut to a shot of the Millennium Falcon with its ramp down. It is raining on Ahch-To, and water drips off the sides of the Falcon. Luke, Chewie, and Artoo are sheltering beneath the ship. Chewie bends down to embrace his old friend. He whines when he lets go. Luke smiles and nods up at him. Chewie whines again before turning and walking up the ramp. Cut to inside the Falcon. Chewie crosses paths with Rey, who wears a poncho over her clothes, her hair in its usual 3 buns._

Rey: Set course for Crait.

 

_Chewie roars in response._

Rey: We’ll leave in a minute, once I say goodbye.

 

_Rey’s voice cracks slightly on the last word and she looks down, like she’s trying not to cry. She turns away._

_Cut back to the exterior of the Falcon, where Luke is looking down sadly at Artoo._

Luke: I’m sorry, old friend. It’s better for everyone if I stay here.

 

_Cut to Artoo, who beeps something sadly. Cut back to Luke, who smiles, but his eyes remain sad._

Luke: I know. You’ve always been the real hero, not me.

 

_Cut to a mid-distance shot of the two. Artoo rolls forward, closer to Luke, like a dog who knows he’s seeing his master for the last time. Close-up on Luke as he crouches down and places his hands on Artoo’s head, then touches his forehead to his old droid’s dome. He closes his eyes._

Luke: Look after her for me.

 

_Artoo beeps an affirmative. Luke stands and gives his droid a long, lingering look before turning and walking to the edge of the rocky platform. He stares out over the water, his back to Artoo. Close-up on Artoo. Although he is just a droid, sadness emanates from him. He rotates his body but keeps his head pointed towards his old master for as long as possible before he eventually turns and wheels up the ramp. He crosses paths with Rey, who looks down at him, but Artoo continues past her and disappears into the Falcon._

_The camera tracks Rey as she walks down the ramp towards Luke. She pauses at the edge of the Falcon and reaches out a hand, letting the drops flow through her fingers. Despite the somber occasion, the awe is clear on her face: it never rained on Jakku. Close-up of her face as she pulls her hand back and walks forward into the rain, stopping just behind Luke._

Rey: Master Skywalker?

 

_Luke turns around to meet her steady gaze. Close-up on Rey as she inhales, trying to maintain her composure._

Rey: Thank you for helping me. I guess this is goodbye.

 

_Cut to Luke. His expression is unreadable._

Luke: Not quite yet. I have some final words for you before you go.

 

_Cut to Rey, who says nothing. Cut back to Luke, who steels himself before speaking next. There is a tone of urgency in his voice; he desperately needs Rey to understand what he says next._

Luke: Rey, the Jedi have never owned the Light, and Snoke does not own the darkness. Anyone who ignores the darkness is a fool, and anyone who seeks to become master of both Light and Dark is equally foolish.

 

_Luke pauses. Cut to Rey, who is listening closely to his words, but there is some confusion in her eyes. It is clear from her expression that she no longer thinks of the man in front of her as a legend. He has let her down._

Rey, incredulously: Why are you telling me this again? So I’ll give up like you did?

 

_Cut to Luke. Rey’s harsh words have had no effect on him; he has said them to himself innumerable times already._

Luke: So you’ll remember to let both sides of the Force guide you, but also so that you trust your own strength. The Force will guide you, but it does not belong to you, and it may fail you. But you don’t need it. You were strong long before you knew anything about the Force.

 

_Cut briefly to Rey as Luke puts his hands on her shoulders. His robot hand is gloved, the other is bare. Rey does her best to continue meeting his intense gaze, although part of her wants desperately to look away. Close-up on Luke._

Luke: You can be so much more than the Jedi Order ever was, than I ever was. Believe in yourself, Rey.

 

_Cut to a profile shot of the two of them, staring into each other’s eyes. Rain runs down their faces like tears. Luke’s expression is sad, but earnest and hopeful too. In contrast, Rey looks defiant, and there is a hint of anger in the clench of her jaw._

_We see them frozen like this momentarily, before Rey slips out of his hands and turns to stalk back towards the Falcon. Luke lets his hands fall to his sides and he looks down as Rey retreats from him. He gathers himself, then looks up suddenly. Close-up on his face as he calls out to her, trying to get the words out quickly before she leaves._

Luke: There’s something else.

 

_Cut to a frontal shot of Rey, who stops halfway up the ramp of the Falcon. She looks down, seemingly on the brink of real tears, then raises her head again and turns around to face Luke again, but does not walk back down the ramp._

Rey, trying to hold it together: What?

 

_Cut to a shot from behind Luke of the two. Luke stands below Rey now, looking up at her from several yards away. Her expression is not kind as she returns his gaze. Close-up on Luke’s weathered face._

Luke: Ben Solo isn’t the only one I failed.

 

_Cut to Rey. Whatever she was expecting him to say, that wasn’t it._

Rey, confused: What are you talking about?

 

_Cut to Luke. He takes a breath, bracing himself for what he’s about to say._

Luke: My failure with my nephew isn’t the only reason I came here. I knew that as the First Order rose, Snoke would want to find me, destroy me.

 

_Luke takes a step closer to Rey. Close-up of her face. She is only half-listening, waiting for him to get to the point._

 

Luke: I could’ve lived with that. My father showed me I shouldn’t be scared of sacrificing myself. But it wasn’t just me. If Snoke had killed me he would have come after you next.

 

_Cut to Rey. She either can’t or won’t put together the pieces._

Rey: Why me?

 

_Cut back to Luke. He pauses before he says what he’s been trying to say ever since Rey held his old lightsaber out to him, weeks before._

Luke, plainly: Because you’re my daughter, Rey.

 

_Cut to Rey. Her face is a whirlwind of emotions as his words hit her: disbelief, confusion, anger, relief, happiness, dismay. Almost robotically, she takes one step down the ramp, then another, down to the ground, but she doesn’t cross to Luke._

Rey: What?

 

_Cut to Luke. Although his face is sad, a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders._

Luke: You already know, Rey. You’ve known ever since my father’s old lightsaber called to you.

 

_Cut to Rey. Acknowledgment and acceptance are beginning to appear in her eyes, but she wasn’t expecting this. She doesn’t know what to do. She walks further forward, back into the rain. She is standing only a few feet away from her father now, but neither of them moves any closer._

Luke: I’m sorry. You don’t get your bravery from me, I can tell you that.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is on the brink of tears as the full weight of the news and all its implications begins to wash over her._

Rey, her voice breaking: Why did you leave me? You never came back!

 

_Cut to Luke. He feels a wave of shame rise in him, but he suppresses it and forces himself to keep meeting Rey’s stare. He knows she deserves to know the full story._

Luke: When you were born, I had already begun to sense the darkness rising. I was blind to its origin, so I believed it would pass in time. But part of me knew it was something more, so I separated myself from you, to protect you.

 

_Cut to Rey. Her jaw is clenched tightly, as if she will fall apart if she loosens the muscle. Tears flow down her face, mixing with the rain. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: Your mother would have raised you, but she died shortly after you were born.

 

_Luke pauses, trying to stabilize his voice after mentioning Rey’s mom. We see Rey’s response as well: she doesn’t know how to process this part of the story. Cut back to Luke._

 

Luke: So I gave you to an old friend from the Rebel Alliance while I stayed at the Jedi Temple with my students. I told him not to tell you about me. In case the Dark Times really were coming again, the less you knew about me the better.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is crying openly now, but she is still fixated on Luke’s every word._

Luke: I planned on coming back for you and training you once the danger had passed, but it never did. When Ben Solo turned, I told my friend to hide you somewhere Snoke would never think to look, so you would be safe even if he found me.

 

_Cut to Rey. She spits her next word at Luke like poison._

Rey: Jakku.

 

_Cut back to Luke. He takes a step towards his daughter. He moves somewhat stiffly, like regret is freezing his movements._

Luke: Not a day went by that I didn’t fear I had been mistaken. Every day I spent here, I feared that I was wrong, that Snoke had found you anyways, and I hated myself for not taking you with me.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is both disgusted and fascinated by this story. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: When you arrived here, I felt relief that you had survived. And then I realized that you had survived in spite of me, not because of me. In my shame I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth.

 

_Cut to a side shot of the two of them. Luke steps forward again, but Rey steps back, keeping the distance. A fresh wave of tears is running down her face._

 

Rey: You abandoned me!

_Close-up on Luke’s anguished face._

Luke: What I did was unforgivable, and I can’t defend my actions. But I promise my intention was always to protect you.

 

_Cut to Rey. She glares at him, angry and hurt. Cut back to Luke as he pleads with her, trying to make her understand._

Luke: If you didn’t know your legacy, you wouldn’t feel bound by it. You still don’t have to make this your fight, Rey. You can stay here, or go back to the Outer Rim. You’d be safe.

 

_Cut to Rey._

Rey, crying angrily: I’d be safe, but what about the galaxy? If I stay here, the galaxy has nobody!

 

_Cut to Luke. He looks at her with sadness, but also pride._

Luke: I told you, you don’t get your bravery from me.

 

_Cut to Rey. She doesn’t respond right away, her brain trying hard to process everything she’s heard over the last several minutes_

Rey: You’re wrong. It’s too late. This is my fight. I’m going to Crait. I’m helping the Resistance. I’m helping Finn… he came back for me, not you.

 

_Cut to a side shot of the two. Father and daughter stare at each other, and although they are united at last, there may as well still be a galaxy separating them. Rey breaks first, turning back towards the Falcon. Cut to Luke, who takes one last step towards her. He is crying now too, his tears mixing with the rain on his cheeks._

Luke: Rey!

 

_Cut to Rey as she stops and pauses. Her back is still to Luke. Cut back to him._

Luke: Always remember to believe in yourself, like I do.

_Cut to Rey. She is still facing away from Luke, and her expression is pure torment, but she does not look back, and she resumes her slow walk up the ramp without replying. Cut to a shot over Luke’s shoulder as Rey’s shoes vanish and the ramp closes._

_Luke watches the Falcon take flight and soar away from him, just as Rey watched his friend’s ship leave her behind all those years ago. Close-up on Luke’s face. His eyes are haunted by the sight of his daughter growing smaller and smaller as she flies away from him._

_Cut to inside the Falcon. Rey are Artoo are in the main room; Chewie is flying. Rey sits beside the chessboard. She has a towel draped around her shoulders and she stares at the ground, but her eyes look without seeing. Cut to Artoo. He stands beside her, but he is silent. He has looked after Skywalkers his entire life, and now, as Luke asked, he will look after Rey._

_Cut to Rey. Slowly, not even fully realizing what she’s doing, she reaches up and pulls at her wet hair. The bottom bun falls, followed the middle one. She reaches for the top one, but only pulls it halfway out, then stops herself. She lowers her hand and closes her eyes, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks. She no longer has no reason to look like the little girl who was left behind on Jakku._

_Cut to a shot of Luke from behind, his silhouette framed by the dark water and sky. He hasn’t moved since Rey left. In the dusky light, the ghost of Anakin Skywalker glows even brighter when he appears at the edge of the frame. As Anakin steps forward, we see he is accompanied by two others: Obi-Wan, and Yoda. Cut to Luke’s face as his father speaks. Luke jumps in surprise, then whirls around._

Anakin: It will destroy you to stay here.

 

_Luke scowls. He is full of pain and suffering._

Luke, respectfully: Father, Ben, Master Yoda.

 

_Cut to Yoda, who looks on his old apprentice not with disappointment, but with the wisdom of a thousand years._

Yoda: Ah, Skywalker. When first we met, willing to disobey the last living Jedi, you were, to save your friends. Gone, is that boy?

 

_Cut to Luke. He doesn’t answer right away, as he is lost in his agony._

Luke: That boy didn’t know what it felt like to fail.

 

_Cut to Obi-Wan. He looks at Luke with great fondness. He still sees Luke as the young farm boy from Tatooine, not the grizzled old hermit of Ahch-To._

Obi-Wan: Is failure so bitter that you refuse to risk ever tasting it again, even if that means the destruction of your sister, your old friends, and your daughter?

 

_Cut to Luke. He has never felt less sure of himself. Cut to Anakin. There is kindness in his eyes as he addresses his son._

Anakin: She believes in you Luke, as you once believed in me, and my failures far outweighed yours.

 

_Cut to Luke, who looks away from his father, unwilling to meet his gaze. Anakin steps closer to his son, his expression changing rapidly. There is something angry in his eyes now, a hint of Vader._

Anakin: I sacrificed myself for you! You said it yourself, just now! And yet you’ll let your daughter die?

 

_Cut to Luke. His father’s angry words have suddenly lit something in him, something that refused to be lit until now. He looks up with a blaze in his eyes._

Luke: Don’t you understand? Alone, she goes to the Resistance. With me, she goes to Snoke.

 

_Luke shakes his head._

 

Luke: I can’t let her face him.

_He turns away from the ghosts and strides purposefully towards the ocean. He stops about ten yards from the water’s edge and reaches out his hand, closing his eyes._

_We see him from behind now, watching him with the three ghosts: Anakin stands on the right side of the frame, Yoda and Obi-Wan on the left. Cut to Luke’s face. He is concentrating hard, finding something within himself that he has not intentionally searched for in a long, long time._

_Cut back to the shot from behind as Luke’s goal becomes clear: his X-Wing rises from the water, into the rain-filled air. It emerges fully from the water and floats slowly forward, landing in front of Luke._

_As we hear the sound of the X-Wing hitting the earth, cut to Luke, who opens his eyes and gasps, staring at his old ship with wonder. Luke steps forward and touches the hull, running his fingers along it in amazement. When we see his eyes, they are filled with memories. The young boy who blew up the Death Star is still in there after all._

_Cut to a shot of the three ghosts. Anakin and Obi-Wan look on with pride, while Yoda’s expression is slightly different: he smiles slightly, as though he knew this was coming all along._

_Cut back to Luke. He rests his hand on the X-Wing and turns to look back out at the water for a moment before closing his eyes. He inhales, and speaks but a single word on the exhale._

Luke: Leia.

 

_Cut to Leia, who stands in the Resistance command center on Crait. She is looking at a projection of several planets and discussing strategy with several other Resistance officers, including Admiral Ackbar, Vice-Admiral Holdo and Lieutenant Connix. Suddenly Leia gasps and leans forward onto the table in front of her._

Leia: Luke!

 

_The voices fade away, and the other fighters look at Leia, unsure if they’ve heard her correctly. Leia has her eyes closed now, however, and she is no longer truly present; her mind is across the galaxy, with her brother on Ahch-To. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: Leia, I’m going to Snoke. I know where he is.

 

_A vision of a palace on a rocky planet appears on the screen. Cut back to Luke._

Luke: Do you see it?

 

_Cut to Leia, who nods._

Leia: We will come.

 

_The connection dissolves. Leia opens her eyes and looks around at the rest of the Resistance. They are all staring at her. Leia smiles when she speaks._

Leia: Luke is coming back.

 

_An explosion of shouts and cheers follows her simple proclamation. Close-up on C-3PO amidst the chaos._

C-3PO, happily: Master Luke.

_Leia waves her hands, trying to silence the crowd. The din quiets._

Leia: He needs our help. He showed me Snoke’s palace. We have to assemble the fleet at once.

 

_Cut to Lieutenant Connix stepping forward._

Connix: General, what about Commander Dameron and Finn?

 

_Cut back to Leia._

Leia: Their mission must have been successful. But we must act fast. If they do not return soon, we will have no choice but to help Luke without them.

 

_There is a somber note in her voice as she says this: the idea of setting out on a crucial mission without Poe leading the fleet appeals to nobody. Close-up on Leia. She will not allow the Resistance to lose confidence before the battle has even begun._

Leia: If Commander Dameron is unavailable, Vice-Admiral Holdo will lead the fleet.

 

_Cut to Holdo as everyone looks at her. She clearly wasn’t expecting this, but she nods._

Holdo: Yes, General.

 

_There is a tense pause, which is broken when a hologram of Rose unexpectedly flowers on the control panel. Close-up on the hologram as everyone turns to it._

Leia: Rose!

 

Hologram Rose: General Organa, it’s good to see you again.

 

_Cut to the real Rose, who sits in front of a different control table where a hologram of Leia stands. She looks over her shoulder and calls out to the cockpit._

Rose: I’ve made contact!

 

Hologram Leia: It’s good to see you too. Are you still on Canto Bight?

 

Rose: No. We acquired a First Order shuttle and we’re on our way back to Crait.

 

_Cut to Leia’s end. Finn and Poe appear in the hologram, and the Resistance breaks into excited murmurs at the sight of them alive and well._

Hologram Poe: General Organa!

 

_Cut to Leia. She looks incredibly relieved to see her Commander._

Leia: Commander Dameron, Finn, I’m glad to see you succeeded in your mission.

 

_Cut to the hologram._

Hologram Poe: We couldn’t have done it without Rose and Lando.

 

_Close-up on Leia’s face. A flicker of excitement crosses her features at the mention of Lando, but she isn’t sure she heard right._

Leia: Lando?

 

_Cut to the hologram._

Hologram Poe: Lando Calrissian, he says he’s an old friend—

 

_Cut to Leia as she interrupts him. She is smiling now._

Leia: An old friend. That he is. But you need to change course. We’re preparing for an attack on Snoke’s palace, on Moraband.

 

_Cut to Rose’s end. Close-up on Finn, who leans forward, something haunted in his eyes. He heard about Moraband while he was still in the First Order, and part of him can’t believe what he heard._

Finn, gravely: You want us to set course for Moraband?

 

_Cut to hologram Leia, who understands how dangerous her command sounds._

Hologram Leia: Yes.

 

_Cut to Finn, who stares at the hologram and nods slowly. Poe glances at him, then back at the hologram._

Poe: What about the fleet? Who will command?

 

_Cut to Leia’s end. Holdo steps up next to Leia’s shoulder. Hologram Poe looks at her._

Hologram Poe: Vice-Admiral?

 

_Close-up on Holdo, who nods. She looks nervous. Close-up on hologram Poe. He mulls something over for a beat before his next words._

Hologram Poe: Take my ship.

 

_Cut to Holdo. She looks perplexed._

Holdo: Commander?

 

_Cut to real Poe. The idea he just suggested clearly pains him, but he repeats it anyways._

Poe: Take my ship. It’s the fastest one in the fleet, and we’re going to need all the help we can get. Take it.

 

_Cut to hologram Holdo. She is honored by Poe’s offer._

Hologram Holdo: Thank you, Commander. I’ll take good care of her.

 

_Poe nods. The idea of someone else piloting his ship doesn’t appeal to him, but he has to do what’s right for the Resistance._

Poe: We’ll see you soon.

 

_Poe’s face fades to a aerial shot of Snoke’s palace: it has tall, twisting spires sprawling in all directions from a central spike which sticks higher into the air than the rest. The whole palace looks like a grotesque spider with its many legs pointing skywards. The camera slowly zooms in on the central spike._

_Cut to Snoke sitting on his throne. Kylo stands in front of him; we can see him from behind, his hands clasped behind his back. Close-up on Snoke’s face: he is clearly deep in thought._

Snoke: The Resistance has made contact with Skywalker. It is only a matter of time before he arrives.

 

_Cut to Kylo. His face is impassive, and his voice deadly calm when he speaks. He is almost bored by this conversation with his master._

Kylo: How will he find us?

 

_Cut to Snoke, who laughs._

Snoke: We stand here, in the birthplace of the Sith, and you question how he will find us? Luke Skywalker may not have sensed the darkness in you, but even he could not fail to find us here.

 

_Cut to Kylo. His face registers no response to his master’s subtle mocking._

Kylo: And if they come with the Resistance?

 

_Cut to Snoke._

Snoke: No matter. I have ordered General Hux to bring his fleet here. Then, if the Resistance comes to their aid, they will only be making it easier for us to crush them all in one final stroke.

 

_Snoke laughs cruelly. Cut to Kylo while his master laughs. He is disinterested, icy, removed. Cut back to Snoke as his laughter fades away._

Snoke: The time has come for you to summon the Knights of Ren. The last Jedi and his apprentice are not going to be willing prisoners. You will need help to bring them here. Go. Do not return until our guests have arrived.

 

_Cut to Kylo. He bows his head to his master, but there is nothing subservient in the motion. Kylo’s features are tight and angry: his jaw is clenched and his eyes are filled with darkness. He raises his head and turns sharply, pacing out of the throne room._

_Cut to Snoke. He watches his apprentice leave with an unusual expression. He looks calculating, but also expectant. Expectant of what, it is unclear._

_Cut to Kylo exiting the throne room. The blank expression is gone from his face, replaced by something twisted and ugly. He stalks down the hallway outside, his footsteps echoing loudly as he goes._

_Fade to the main room of the Falcon, where Rey is hanging up her wet clothes to dry. She is now dressed in her gray Jedi clothes, but it’s not just her clothes and hair that are different. There is a slump in her shoulders now, and her motions are slower. Her mind is not on the Falcon, but back on Ahch-To with Luke. She looks older, and sadder._

_Rey finishes hanging her clothes, but when she turns to go back to the cockpit she inhales sharply. A vision of Kylo’s tortured face flashes across the screen. We see Rey collapse into a chair in shock. Until this moment, she hadn’t processed that being Luke’s daughter made her Kylo’s cousin._

_Cut to Kylo. He stands at the end of the hallway outside Snoke’s throne room, but his expression is different now: curious, puzzled._

Kylo, quietly: Rey.

 

_Cut to Rey, who flinches and stands._

Rey, angrily: What is this?

 

_Cut to Kylo. He looks around, as if expecting Rey to be hiding somewhere in the palace._

Kylo: The Force has connected us.

 

_Cut to Rey. She pulls Anakin Skywalker’s old lightsaber from her belt and ignites it, waving it at different areas of the Falcon as though Kylo is going to emerge from one of its many nooks and crannies._

Rey: Stop it. Leave me alone.

 

_Cut to Kylo._

Kylo, thoughtfully: I’m not doing this. This means that the stories were true after all. Luke Skywalker… he’s your father.

 

_Cut to Rey, who is momentarily shocked into silence. She doesn’t understand how Kylo figured out her parentage from their connection. She lowers the lightsaber slightly._

Rey: How did you know that?

 

_Cut to Kylo. He is genuinely intrigued by the connection, even amazed by it._

Kylo: The Force unites our family. We are part of each other, always.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is angry now, insulted by Kylo’s words._

Rey: No. You killed your father; you’re despicable! You aren’t part of me.

 

_Cut to Kylo. His face falls at the mention of Han, and he exhales before answering._

Kylo: Our family has never been defined by the Light.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is still angry._

Rey: How can you say that, when our parents sacrificed everything to restore Light to the galaxy?

 

_Cut to Kylo._

Kylo: Their fight has always been in vain. Why fight so hard to suppress human nature? You yourself felt the pull of the Dark Side, that night in the forest.

 

_Cut to Rey. She looks unsettled at his mention of their fight._

Rey: You’re wrong. The galaxy is full of Light, and the Resistance won’t let you destroy it.

 

_Cut to Kylo. He is pleased by Rey’s mention of the Resistance, and wears an ominous expression. He doesn’t answer right away as he thinks of what to say next._

Kylo: If you go to the Resistance, you’ll be showing me their base. You can’t control this bond. You’re alone.

 

_Cut to Rey. Kylo is lying, as he can’t see her surroundings any more than she can see his. She doesn’t know this, however, and his manipulative words sting her. Rey doesn’t answer right away. When she does, her words are unexpectedly strong and defiant._

Rey: No. You’re the one who’s alone. There is still Light in you, but you refuse to see it. You’ve done this to yourself, Ben Solo.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who snarls at Rey’s use of his old name, his face suddenly full of anger. The connection breaks, and he blinks, glancing around him, reorienting himself to his surroundings._

_Cut to Rey, who hasn’t moved, frozen by shock. She looks down, and the camera follows her gaze as she closes the old lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker still clutched in her hand. Cut back to Rey’s face as she looks up, fresh determination on her face._

_Cut to the cockpit as Rey appears in the doorway. Chewie sits in the co-pilot’s seat, while Artoo stands behind the chairs. Rey slides into the pilot’s seat and begins pressing buttons. Chewie looks at her curiously and whines._

Rey: We’re not going to Crait anymore.

 

_Chewie whines again._

 

Rey: I’d be putting them in terrible danger.

 

_Chewie howls. Rey looks up, a hard look in her eyes._

Rey: There’s only one other place we can go.

 

_Cut to a shot of General Hux, standing on the main bridge, blue light flickering on his face as his Destroyer moves through hyperspace. Captain Phasma stands beside him. They have been arguing, judging from their tones._

Hux: When we arrive at Moraband, I expect your shuttles loaded and ready.

 

Phasma: There is no need to send as many shuttles as you are suggesting.

 

Hux, as though explaining something simple to an idiot: It is not my suggestion; it is an order from Supreme Leader Snoke himself.

 

Phasma: The Resistance believes our fleet is still scattered throughout the galaxy. They presume the palace is unprotected from above. I guarantee you they will not try a ground assault.

 

_Close-up on Hux._

Hux, with venom in his voice: I am following Leader Snoke’s orders, Captain, and you would be wise to do the same.

 

_Cut to Phasma’s silver helmet._

Phasma coolly: My loyalty is to the Supreme Leader, of course.

 

_Phasma turns and walks away from Hux, her armor clanking in time with her steps. Cut to Hux, who looks back out the broad window, his expression cruel._

_Hux’s face dissolves into Crait. The white planet looks especially bright in comparison to the blackness of space surrounding it. Cut to the surface, where the Resistance is busy loading their ships. Cut to the interior of one of the command cruisers, where Leia is addressing Admiral Ackbar, Vice-Admiral Holdo, C-3PO, and several others._

Leia: We don’t know how well defended Snoke’s palace is from the ground, so we will be attempting an aerial assault. The command cruisers will communicate updates to the smaller fighters.

 

_Cut to C-3PO._

C-3PO: Forgive me for asking, General, but would it be wise to communicate our plans when the First Order will assuredly be intercepting our signals?

 

_Cut to Leia, who has a look of fondness for the droid on her face._

Leia, patiently: Threepio, I don’t think the First Order will need to intercept our signals. They’ll be able to see firsthand what we’re doing.

 

_Cut to C-3PO._

 

C-3PO: Ah, yes, of course.

 

_There is some laughter at this exchange. Pan around to the rest of the Resistance fighters. Their faces are somber, but there is an aura of excitement too. They’re sick of sitting and waiting to be discovered. They’ve been waiting for months for their chance to take the fight to the First Order. Cut to Leia._

Leia: Admiral Ackbar will lead the secondary command cruiser and assist me in overseeing the attack.

 

_There is a pause where everyone nods. Cut to Admiral Ackbar._

Ackbar: To your stations!

 

_Having received their orders, the Resistance officers begin to disperse, continuing their preparations. Leia walks with Holdo towards the ship’s exit ramp. Close-up on Holdo._

Holdo, apprehensively: General, is this attack to destroy the palace?

 

_Cut to Leia._

 

Leia: Of course. This is the best chance we’ve had to knock out the First Order’s leadership.

 

_Cut to Holdo. The two women have reached the ramp. They stop walk, turning to face each other. Holdo looks at Leia with concern on her face._

Holdo, cautiously: Even if it means destroying your son?

 

_Close-up on Leia. Her eyes glaze over; she isn’t seeing Holdo anymore, but rather the_

_face of her traitorous son._

Leia, with pain in her voice: My son is already destroyed. His life ended at the same time as Han’s.

 

_Cut to Holdo. There is a great sympathy and sadness in her eyes as she reaches out and clasps Leia’s hand in hers. The two women stand like this for a moment as Leia collects herself. When she speaks next, the authority is back in her voice._

Leia: It’s time to go. Luke and Rey need us.

 

_Holdo nods and gives Leia one last small smile._

Holdo: May the force be with you, always.

_Leia returns her smile before Holdo exits the ship. The camera follows her as she walks to Poe’s black X-Wing. She looks at it with a determined expression before climbing the ladder and into the cockpit._

_Cut a farther out shot of all the ships as they slowly rise into the air, turning away from Crait and towards Moraband, light years away._

_Cut to Leia, who stands at the front of her cruiser’s main bridge and stares out at the blackness. Light flickers on her face as the ship makes the jump to light speed._

_Cut to the Falcon dropping out of light speed above Moraband. Close-up on Rey in the cockpit as the ship descends through the atmosphere. She looks nervous, but determined nonetheless. We see Chewie look at her, but she keeps her eyes focused ahead. Artoo is standing behind them._

_The Falcon swoops down and lands slowly on a flat outcropping of rock. We can see Snoke’s palace looming in the backward. Cut to the cockpit, where Rey is rising from her seat. Chewie turns to look at her. Close-up on Rey._

Rey: Wait here. I’m going to call for help.

 

_Cut to Chewie, who wails. Cut back to Rey._

Rey: I can make contact without the First Order finding out.

 

_Chewie wails again._

 

Rey: Then we wait until help arrives.

 

_Chewie looks at her. Time has done nothing to sooth the raw pain of Han’s death, and he has become attached to Rey even over the course of just a few months: he can’t lose her too. He whines softly and Rey smiles at him reassuringly._

Rey: I will be. I’ll only be gone a minute.

 

_Rey turns and leaves the cockpit. Cut to a shot of the outside of the Falcon as its ramp descends and Rey walks down to the surface of the planet. She looks out at Snoke’s palace, her hair blowing gently in a slight wind. She closes her eyes._

Rey, softly: Help me.

 

_The scene fades to Luke. He is standing on top of his X-Wing, dressed in all black, silhouetted against the sky and the sea, about to leave Ahch-To. Close-up on his face as he looks up, eyes wide as his daughter’s voice echoes in his head._

Luke, to himself: Rey… no… why didn’t you go to Crait?

_Luke slams his hand down on top of his X-Wing in anger and frustration. He climbs into the cockpit and hits a button, his face suddenly distressed and anxious. The hatch closes over him._

_Fade back to Rey, who is still standing with her eyes closed. She did not hear any of Luke’s words._

Rey: Help me, please.

 

_Cut to Finn, sitting in the cockpit of the stolen shuttle with Lando, Poe, BB-8, and Rose. Finn straightens suddenly and looks around._

Finn: Rey?

 

_The others look at him in surprise. Thoughts run through Finn’s brain, one tumbling over another, but in his heart he knows at once what is happening._

Finn: Rey needs us. Can’t this thing go any faster?

 

_Lando doesn’t understand what Finn is talking about, but he answers his question._

Lando: Sure, as long as you’re okay with being vaporized.

 

_Cut back to Finn. A deeply worried look has settled on his face._

_Fade back to Rey. She opens her eyes and turns to walk back to the Falcon. She has nearly reached the base of the ramp when she hears the sound of an igniting lightsaber and looks back. The camera follows her gaze to Kylo Ren, glaring at her, lightsaber in hand. His Knights of Ren surround him, and several of them have blasters or bowcasters trained on her. She is still too far from the Falcon to reach it without being shot._

Kylo: Leaving already?

 

_Rey is frozen in place by her shock and fear. She doesn’t know what to do._

Kylo: Where is Luke Skywalker?

 

_Kylo spits his uncle and former master’s name like it’s poison. At the mention of Luke, Rey is shaken from her state of shock. She draws Anakin’s lightsaber and ignites it, standing defensively between Kylo and the Falcon even though she is far outnumbered._

Rey, forcing calm into her voice: He isn’t here.

 

_Kylo points at the Falcon with his lightsaber, ordering his Knights forward._

Kylo: Search the ship!

 

_A roar echoes from the Falcon and Rey whirls around. Chewie has appeared at the top of the ramp, holding his crossbow. He shoots at Kylo, who deflects the bolt with ease._

Rey, shouting: Chewie, no!

 

_The Knights of Ren begin to advance. Chewie shoots at them, keeping them at bay. They return fire, which misses and rebounds off the Falcon. Rey ducks to avoid being hit. Close-up on Chewie, who looks around in conflict and distress. Rey looks up at him pleadingly._

Rey: Go! You can’t help me! Remember the plan.

 

_Chewie knows she is right. He gives her a final, desperate look before the Falcon door closes, and the ship rises into the air seconds after. The Knights shoot at it, but the blasts ricochet off the shields. Close-up on Rey’s frightened face as she watches the ship retreat. Yet again, she is alone._

_Cut to inside the Falcon cockpit. Chewie sits at the pilot’s seat, Artoo next to him. Chewie leans his head back and wails. Artoo pushes himself up onto his tiptoes to look out the Falcon window at Rey below. He lets out a sad beep, dismayed that he has already failed in the final task Luke gave him._

_Cut back to Rey, who is realizing the severity of her predicament. She turns slowly on the spot as the Knights of Ren advance on her in a point formation. She grits her teeth and suddenly goes on the offensive, running towards them and letting out a yell as she slashes at the leader. Her opponent leans back to avoid her blow, and she kicks him in the chest, sending him backwards into some of his fellows. Rey strikes again, slashing towards a different Knight, but he deflects her blow with his staff, which is covered in a flickering shield of light that prevents the saber from simply cutting it in half. He attempts to strike at her, but Rey dodges. She lifts her arm to strike again, but when she tries to bring it down she can’t: one of the other Knights has grabbed her hand and frozen her motion. He twists her arm, causing her to drop the saber. It closes and falls to the ground with a clatter._

_Another Knight hits her across the ribs with his staff, causing her to cry out and buckle over in pain. Another strikes her across the face with the back of his hand, and she falls to her hands and knees. Another blow seems imminent until a voice cries out._

Kylo: Enough! The Supreme Leader wants her in one piece.

_Close-up of Rey’s terrified face, staring at the ground. A bruise is already beginning to form where the Knight hit her. She watches a boot kick Anakin’s saber towards Kylo, who closes his own saber before picking up Anakin’s and tucking them both into his belt. We see his boots advancing towards Rey from her perspective. Rey grits her teeth and scrambles to her feet so she can meet Kylo’s glare._

_Kylo is much taller than Rey, and we see him as she does, his brutally scarred face looming above her. Their stare-off is broken by the sound of one of the Knights locking Rey in handcuffs. Kylo turns and starts walking back towards Snoke’s palace, his cloak billowing behind him in the wind. The Knights follow with their prisoner._

_We look on from above as Kylo, his Knights, and Rey enter the palace. The entrance is an enormous black arch, and as they cross under it we see the inside from Kylo’s perspective: it is a long hallway crafted from black metal with an elevator at the far end. Thin, horizontal lights fitted where the walls meet the ceiling cast a cold light over everything._

_Close-up on Kylo’s face. He has the look of a man on a mission, and there is something very cold in his eyes. Cut to Rey, who is trying to keep her face as impassive as possible, but her eyes dart around nervously. Their footsteps echo on the metal floors. They reach the elevator at the end of the hallway, and the doors open. A Knight shoves Rey roughly in. Kylo follows, then turns back to the Knights._

Kylo: Stay alert for Skywalker.

 

_Cut to the Knights. They nod, and the elevator door shuts on them. Cut to Kylo and Rey, both facing forward as the elevator begins to rise. Kylo’s expression is neutral; Rey’s is repulsed. It is silent for a moment before Rey blurts her next words out suddenly, as if she can’t hold them in no matter how hard she tries._

Rey: Why did you kill him?

 

_Cut to Kylo, who turns and looks down at her._

Kylo: Why did I kill Han Solo?

 

_Cut to Rey, whose eyes flick down for a moment before meeting Kylo’s gaze again. She is trying to prevent the tears from welling in them. She gives a tiny nod. Cut back to Kylo._

Kylo: Following in others’ footsteps is tempting and easy, but that doesn’t make it right. You have to let the past die: kill it, if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you were meant to be.

 

_Cut to Rey._

Rey: And what are you meant to be? A monster?

 

_Cut to Kylo. He is unmoved by her words._

Kylo: Yes.

 

_The door opens behind Kylo and he grabs Rey by the handcuffs, shoving her out ahead of him into Snoke’s red throne room. Snoke’s laughter resounds off the walls at the sight of her. Kylo and Rey walk forward, stopping several yards from the base of Snoke’s throne. Close-up on Snoke._

Snoke: Welcome, Rey Skywalker. It’s an honor.

 

_Cut to Rey. She is repulsed by Snoke, but stares at him fixedly all the same. Snoke summons Anakin’s lightsaber from Kylo’s belt. He examines it, twisting it between his large fingers before setting it on the arm of his throne._

Snoke: You have his lightsaber, but where is your father? Didn’t he want to come to the family reunion?

Rey, bitterly: I have no family here.

_Snoke laughs, then raises a hand and Force-draws Rey towards him as though he has her tied on a string. He grabs her face in his large hand and we see them glaring at each other in profile. Rey looks defiant, but also disgusted._

 

Snoke: Lonely for so long, and now you reject your bloodline. I suppose you don’t need it, not with your raw power. If only you were the Skywalker grandchild I found.

 

_Cut to Kylo. His face hardens at his master’s casual insult, but he doesn’t say anything. Cut back to Snoke and Rey._

 

Rey: My father made sure that would never happen.

 

Snoke: And yet here you are. He only delayed the inevitable.

 

_Snoke caresses Rey’s face. She struggles to pull away from him, but his Force hold on her is strong._

 

Snoke: You have spent your entire life alone and unloved, and yet still you have always rejected the darkness. You reject your destiny, and for that you must die.

 

Rey, spitting her words at Snoke: You underestimate me.

 

Snoke: Oh I assure you, I do not. But after today, this lightsaber will be all that is left of the noble Jedi Order.

 

_Snoke pushes Rey away from him and the toes of her boots drag along the floor. He releases her next to Kylo and she catches herself from falling as she unexpectedly regains control of her limbs._

Snoke, in a bored, mocking tone: It’s a shame your friends have abandoned you. I wish they could watch as their final hope is crushed.

 

_Cut to Rey’s face. Tears are pooling in her eyes, but there is also white-hot anger in her eyes. We see her hands, locked behind her back, tugging at their restraints. Suddenly the cuffs split, and Rey throws out her hand to summon the saber from Snoke’s throne. She catches it and as she charges at him she ignites it, but just before she reaches him he waves a hand and she flies across the room before slamming into the wall, dropping the saber and crumpling to the ground. We briefly see Kylo’s reaction: none, his face is impassive, not even flinching at the sounds._

_Rey slowly raises her head from the ground, all the breath having been knocked out of her. Before she can recover, Snoke is Force-dragging her towards him until she lies on the ground in front of him, unable to move. He laughs and returns the lightsaber to his armrest._

Snoke: Such bravery. I wonder, will it keep you alive long enough for Luke Skywalker to come and say goodbye?

 

_Snoke lifts Rey and launches her into the air. She hangs there like a ragdoll, then opens her mouth in a terrible scream._

_Cut to a close-up of Luke’s face. His expression is one of anguish: he can feel Rey’s pain, and blames himself for it. We see him walking down a broad, smooth pathway that leads to the entryway of Snoke’s palace. His robes swirl around him in the wind._

_Cut to a frontal shot of Luke as he suddenly stops. His eyes are fixated on an unexpected obstacle. He shrugs his cloak off and lets it fall to the ground before pulling his green lightsaber from his belt and igniting it. The camera flips around and we see what Luke sees: the Knights of Ren have emerged, seemingly from nowhere, and they stand in front of the entryway, every one of their weapons pointed at Luke._

_Cut back to Luke, who twirls his lightsaber, waiting for the Knights to make the first move, and they do, suddenly opening fire on him. He deflects the numerous bolts with ease, blocking each one with his saber. One of the bolts rebounds off the saber and hits a Knight, who falls to the ground._

_At this, the Knights drop their blasters and draw their staffs. The Knights advance slowly towards Luke, and he watches them closely. Suddenly one of them springs forward and swings at him. Luke parries, then grabs the staff with his other hand and jerks the Knight to the ground, stabbing him as he falls._

_Meanwhile, the other Knights have surrounded Luke and they all lash out at him almost simultaneously. Luke ducks and two of the staffs clash together above his head. Luke slashes low, cutting through the owners of the staffs. He rises and parries a high blow, then, while his saber is still locked on the staff, turns suddenly and Force-throws two Knights who were approaching from his left against the rocks. A new Knight swings at Luke, who parries his blows. Frustrated, the Knight overextends on one of his swings, which Luke dodges easily before slashing the unbalanced Knight in half._

_There is now only one Knight left, standing several yards away from Luke. They stare at each other, waiting for the other to move first. This time, it is Luke. He springs forward with a Jedi’s nimbleness and slashes the Knight diagonally across his chest before he has any chance of defending himself._

_The warrior falls, and Luke turns to look back at their bodies littering the ground. He closes his saber and replaces it in his belt. He bends down and picks up one of the fallen Knight’s staffs, slinging it across his back before turning and walking through the archway to Snoke’s palace, only a few yards away. The camera is set behind him as he enters the palace, framed by the arch, leaving the bodies of the Knights of Ren in his wake._

_The ground fades to a different part of Moraband as the landing gears of a stormtrooper shuttle deploy a few feet above the surface. When we see the scene from farther out, we can see that several shuttles are in the process of landing. The ramp of the middle one unfolds, and Captain Phasma emerges at the front of a column of stormtroopers._

_Troopers emerge from the other shuttles as well and fall into rank behind Phasma. We watch from above as the column marches forward towards Snoke’s palace, following in Luke’s footsteps from moments before. Their synchronized marching resounds across the empty, barren planet._

_From ground level, we see rows of troopers peel off intermittently, standing guard at spaced-out points along the pathway. Close-up on Phasma’s helmet. The reflection of the planet shimmers on her helmet, turning it darker. As she arrives at the entrance of Snoke’s palace, we see that the entire column of troopers has dispersed, leaving her alone. She steps over the bodies of the Knights of Ren as she walks to the center of the entry arch. She turns around to stand sentry in the center of the arch, looking back the way she came._

_Fade to an aerial shot of the tall spire of Snoke’s palace. The ground surrounding it has been turned white by the ranks of stormtroopers. The camera pans upwards, showing the Star Destroyers which now fill the skies. The camera pans back down, looking out at the horizon of Moraband._

_The horizon fades to yet another part of the planet: a flat rock outcropping, upon which Lando’s stolen First Order shuttle sits. Footprints lead away from it, as well as BB-8’s trail. The prints lead towards a low canyon._

_Cut to the Finn, Poe, and the others sneaking through the low, rocky canyon. TIE Fighter wreckage is crumpled against the rocks: this is the same canyon where Kylo had his training session. Close-up on Finn. He has a determined look on his face. In fact, he is at the front of the pack, followed by the others. Lando brings up the rear, an unnerved expression on his face as he looks around tensely._

_The groups’ footsteps crunch softly along the pebbly ground, and they hold their blasters at the ready. The canyon is full of shadows, which dance eerily against the rock._

_The canyon twists and opens up, and the group emerges at the top of a low rise, Snoke’s palace visible on their right. They stop suddenly, retreating quickly from the edge, and when the camera shows us their perspective we see why: a group of stormtroopers stands below them, facing away from them. Close-up on Poe, who whispers when he speaks._

Poe: If we get caught, there’s no guarantee we get out before our friends blow this place to bits.

 

_Cut to Finn, who is thinking hard. Something resolves itself in his mind and he rises, stepping forward._

Finn: Wait here.

 

_Cut to Poe, who looks at Finn in confusion._

Poe: What are you doing?

 

_Cut to Finn, who looks at him meaningfully._

Finn: Giving them a choice.

 

_Before the group can stop him, Finn is walking down the rise. He slings his blaster over his back. One of the troopers turns at the sound of his footsteps. The trooper sounds the alarm, and the others pivot and train their weapons on Finn. His face is determined as he stops and holds up his hands._

Finn: Don’t shoot.

 

_One of the troopers steps forward, his blaster pointed directly at Finn._

Trooper, his voice muffled: Who are you?

 

_Cut to Finn. He knows that what he is about to do is either the noblest or stupidest thing anyone has ever done._

Finn: I used to be one of you. But not anymore.

 

_Cut to the trooper’s blank helmet. He doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t shoot either, which Finn finds encouraging as we see him swallow his fear. He takes another step forward, and his voice is slightly more confident when he next speaks._

Finn: I realized I had a choice. I could fight for the First Order. Why shouldn’t I? The galaxy did nothing to help me when I was taken from my family.

 

_The troopers don’t lower their weapons, but they are listening._

Finn: But doing the right thing isn’t about me. It’s about making sure that what happened to me and to all of you never happens again. Don’t help the First Order destroy more lives than they already have.

 

_Cut to the lead trooper. Although we cannot see his face, there is conflict in him. He turns his head, looking out at Snoke’s palace, which looms in the distance. He looks back at Finn, but makes no signal to the rest of the troopers. Their weapons remain raised. Close-up on Finn, who is trying hard to suppress the panic rising in him._

 

Finn: Help me get inside the palace. If you do, I’ll take you with me when I leave. You can join the Resistance or you can run, but you’ll be free. You’ll finally get a chance to see the good in the galaxy.

 

_There is a pause where nothing happens. We see Finn looking at the troopers, then the troopers looking back at him from behind their white masks. We then see the scene from behind Finn and slightly above him: Finn, a lone figure standing on the rise above the troopers, Snoke’s palace looming on the right side of the frame. The troopers look very white compared to the dark sky and shadowy ground._

_The scene fades to the Star Destroyers surrounding Moraband. All of a sudden Resistance ships begin to pop into existence as they emerge from hyperspace. Cut to the interior of one of the Star Destroyers. Hux is facing away from the window, overseeing his workers as they tap away at their monitors. One of his officers approaches him from behind._

Officer: General Hux. The Resistance.

 

_Hux turns around and looks out at the materializing fleet. His face is merciless._

Hux: Prepare to obliterate every last ship.

 

_Cut to the inside of the Leia’s command cruiser. Leia stands with C-3PO at the main control panel. Lieutenant Connix appears at her shoulder._

Connix: General, the First Order was ready for us.

 

_Leia turns and looks out the main window, gazing out at the Star Destroyers with concern._

Connix: We’re out of range for the time being, but that won’t last long. Those Destroyers will pick our ships off before we can mount any kind of attack.

 

_Close-up on Leia, her face grave. She is thinking hard, disturbed by this unexpected development. A hologram of Admiral Ackbar suddenly appears on the control panel._

Ackbar: General, your orders?

 

Leia, trying to think quickly: Activate the shields. We need to get to the surface.

 

_Cut to C-3PO._

C-3PO, concerned: With the entire First Order fleet concentrated on us, the chances of survival during a descent to the surface would be 12,581,650 to one.

 

_Leia glares at him but says nothing. She knew the plan wouldn’t work even as she said it._ _Close-up on the hologram._

Ackbar: Even if we made it to the surface, we’d never be able to escape without being captured.

 

_Cut to Leia, who rests her hands on the control panel: Ackbar and C-3PO are right. Cut back to the hologram._

Ackbar: Our only option is to take out some of those Destroyers. Attack Pattern 67.

 

_Cut to Leia. Distress is clear on her face._

Leia: No. We can’t. It’s too dangerous.

 

_Cut to Ackbar._

Ackbar: It is our only option, General.

 

_Cut to Leia. Whatever Ackbar’s plan is, she isn’t happy about it, but her grim face shows that she knows it may be very well be their only hope._

_Leia’s serious face fades into Rey’s screaming one. Snoke releases her and she falls to the ground. She lifts herself gingerly, already feeling the physical toll recent events have taken on her. Cut to Snoke, who looks almost bored. He looks at Kylo, who stands a few feet back from Rey’s crumpled body and stares down at her emotionlessly._

Snoke, to Kylo: Kill her.

 

_Kylo looks up from Rey, unsure if he heard correctly. Cut to Rey’s terrified face, then back to Snoke._

Snoke: Do you no longer want redemption for your failure in the forest?

 

_Cut to Kylo. His face still registers no emotion as he shrugs off his cloak, then pulls his lightsaber from his belt. Rey scrambles backwards away from him as he ignites it. Cut to Snoke, who is smiling cruelly. He picks up the Skywalker saber._

Snoke: Here, Rey Skywalker. Take up Lord Vader’s old weapon. Let’s see how well your cousin remembers his training.

 

_Snoke tosses the saber at Rey, who catches it and rises slowly to her feet. She ignites it, looking at Kylo with something desperate in her eyes. Cut to Kylo, who meets her gaze, but his face is impossible to read. He looks up at Snoke for a beat before dropping his eyes to Rey. He lunges violently at her with snakelike quickness. Rey parries on instinct, then pushes him away from her and jumps back onto the base of Snoke’s throne. Kylo’s initial blow is stronger than Rey remembers from the last time they fought, and she feels weaker, her energy sapped not just by the physical abuse she has endured, but also by the very planet and its darkness._

_Rey retreats as Kylo climbs onto the throne’s dais too. Snoke laughs at the two fighting in front of him. Kylo swings at Rey again, and she parries again, sending his lightsaber sparking off the side of Snoke’s throne. Rey ducks behind the throne and Kylo lunges after her, but she slips around the side and reappears on the other side._

_Kylo and Rey stand on either side of Snoke’s throne, staring at each other while the Supreme Leader sits between them, his cruel smile making his features seem even more grisly. Kylo swings at Rey again and she jumps backwards off the throne to avoid the strike. Kylo climbs down and stalks after her. They circle each other. Rey tries going on the offensive, but Kylo parries and pushes her away from him, back towards the throne._

_Close-up on Rey. She looks fierce, but her eyes betray her—tears are welling in them as she looks at her cousin. There is hatred in her eyes, but also a plea._

_Close-up on Kylo. His expression is merciless, but then his eyes flick upwards, away from Rey. The camera follows his line of vision to Snoke, staring domineeringly down at him. Snoke notices Kylo’s gaze and smiles._

Snoke: Unleash your anger. Obliterate all that you hate, and you will become heir to your grandfather’s legacy.

_Cut back to Kylo, a trace of conflict suddenly evident on his face. When he meets Rey’s gaze again, his expression has changed from hatred to calm resolve._

_Kylo paces slowly forward, forcing Rey back towards Snoke as she retreats from him. She steps backwards onto the throne dais again, staring at Kylo in fright. Close-up on Rey as she suddenly hears Kylo’s voice in her head._

Kylo, through the Force: Duck.

 

Rey, out loud in confusion: What?

 

_Cut to Kylo as he suddenly charges towards Rey, who ducks, more out of instinct than anything else. Kylo jumps over her, lands in front of Snoke, and before the Supreme Leader can react, Kylo has sliced him in half._

_Rey stares at Kylo in shock as she lowers her lightsaber slightly and closes it. Kylo closes his saber and stands above the throne, staring down at the pieces of his master’s dead body. In stark contrast to the clashing sabers and Snoke’s hideous laughter, the room is now completely silent._

_Close-up on Kylo. The expression on his face is more relieved than victorious. He turns and looks at Rey, standing below him. They stare at each other for a moment, Kylo standing high above her atop Snoke’s throne._

_Kylo jumps down from the throne and the sound of his boots hitting the floor echoes around the room. Rey takes a small step back from him: she doesn’t know why he killed Snoke, and she still doesn’t trust him. Close-up on Rey._

Rey, uncertainly: Ben?

 

_Close-up on Kylo. He gives her a withering look at her use of his former name as he draws his lightsaber and ignites it. He raises it, pointing it at her threateningly. Rey ignites Anakin’s saber, holding it defensively._

Kylo: Ben Solo is dead. But my offer to you still stands. I can show you the ways of the Dark Side.

 

_Cut to Rey. She looks at Kylo with a cold expression._

 

Rey: You’re a fool for thinking you can destroy the Light, just as I’d be a fool for thinking I can destroy the darkness.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who laughs mockingly at Rey._

Kylo: Did Luke Skywalker want you to tell me that? Why listen to him? He abandoned you as a child, and he’s abandoned you now.

 

_Cut to Rey. She blinks back tears at Kylo’s words._

Rey, angrily: He abandoned me because of you! It’s because of you that I had no family!

 

_Cut to Kylo._

Kylo: Then why isn’t he here now, fighting by your side? Stop holding on to him, Rey. The blood of Darth Vader runs in your veins. Learn to use it, and together, we can grow beyond our family.

 

_Cut to Rey. There is a burning look of hatred on her face and she grips Anakin’s lightsaber tightly._

Rey: My grandfather was not Darth Vader. His name was Anakin Skywalker, and he brought balance to the force.

 

_Cut to Kylo. He stares at Rey for a moment, eyes blazing at her rejection, and then he leaps at her with sudden feral intensity. He swings at her violently over and over, forcing her backwards as she struggles to defend herself. Rey can feel the energy draining from her body, and it is all she can do just to stay upright. Kylo attacks her with an overhead swing which Rey barely catches on her saber, but she leaves her torso exposed as she raises her arms to block the blow. Kylo exploits this: he twists and hip-checks Rey to the ground, then kicks Anakin’s saber away from her before she can react. The weapon closes as it leaves her hand and spins across the smooth floor._

_Rey lies on her back, looking up at Kylo as he lowers his lightsaber to mere inches above her face. Close-up on Kylo’s face: there is no mercy in his eyes._

Kylo: You lost before this fight even began. You could never kill me. I’m your family. The deed would tear you apart.

 

_Cut to Rey, who glares up at him, nothing but hatred in her gaze now._

Rey: Really? Like it did for you?

_Cut to Kylo. He is angered by Rey’s reference to his patricide. As he raises his blade to strike the final blow, Rey suddenly reaches out and tries to summon Anakin’s saber back to her. It flies through the air, but before it reaches her hand, Kylo slashes at it with his own saber. Anakin’s lightsaber clatters as it falls to the ground in two pieces: Kylo’s strike has split it in half. Close-up on Kylo’s face. He is angered by Rey’s final, desperate attempt to save her own life. He spits his next words at Rey in a rage._

Kylo: It’s over. Darth Vader destroyed Anakin Skywalker, I scared Luke Skywalker into permanent hiding, and now you prepare to die. The future belongs to me.

 

_Kylo’s head snaps up as an all-too-familiar voice suddenly resounds through the throne room. The camera follows Kylo’s gaze to Luke Skywalker, who stands at the front of one of the many hallways leading off the throne room._

 

Luke: As your old teacher, Ben, I have to express my disappointment. Every word of what you just said was wrong.

 

_Cut to Rey who, despite the danger, has a look of pure joy on her face as she stares at her father. After waiting her entire life, her family, just as she always believed, has come back for her. Cut to Kylo, who is looking around wildly like an animal suddenly realizing it is trapped._

Kylo: How did you escape my Knights?

 

_Cut to Luke, who looks almost amused by the comment._

Luke: Did you truly believe them to be my equal? I’m insulted.

 

_Cut back to Kylo. He seems to be trying to incinerate Luke with the burning hatred in his gaze, until he glances down and remembers Rey. Cut to Rey, who looks away from her father for the first time and fearfully shifts her gaze back to Kylo. Close-up on Kylo as he raises his saber, preparing once more to strike the final blow._

Kylo: It doesn’t matter. You’re just in time to say goodbye.

 

_Cut to Luke as he cries out._

Luke: Rey!

 

_Luke throws the staff he took from the Knight to Rey like a javelin. She catches it just in time to meet Kylo’s surely fatal slash, holding the blade away from her face as the two weapons spark against each other. Rey, invigorated by the appearance of her father, uses the staff to twist Kylo’s saber to the side. She rolls out from under his blade and springs to her feet. Kylo straightens and looks wildly back and forth between Rey and Luke, who stand on either side of him. He swings his saber from one to the other. Luke holds the green saber he built for himself all those years before. Rey holds the staff, the weapon she is used to. Close-up on Luke as he speaks._

Luke: You don’t have to go this way, Ben. The First Order is Snoke’s creation. You’re free now.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who glares at Luke with feral intensity._

Kylo, spitting in anger: I will only be free when the past is dead, and the Skywalker name with it.

 

_Kylo slashes at Luke, who defends himself. As the red saber sparks off the green, cut to the skies surrounding Moraband, where the Resistance and First Order ships float high above the planet._

_Cut to the bridge of the secondary command cruiser, where Admiral Ackbar stands, looking out over the First Order fleet. The ship is quiet and empty other than him. He stares out into space for a beat before a hologram of Leia appears on the main dash._

Hologram Leia: This can’t be the only way.

 

_Cut to Ackbar. He has a grave, determined expression._

Ackbar: First Order fighters will be upon you in moments. We must act now, or this mission will be over before it starts.

 

_Cut to the real Leia, who is standing on the bridge on her cruiser. A hologram of Ackbar stands before her. Leia doesn’t respond right away, and when she does she sounds resigned and sad._

Leia: Is your evacuation complete?

 

Hologram Ackbar: Yes. It’s just me now.

 

_Leia turns and looks out the window. The camera follows her gaze to the other cruiser. It looks very small against the might of the First Order fleet. Close-up on Leia as she turns back to the hologram._

 

Leia: I promise that your heroic leadership will not be forgotten.

 

_Close-up on hologram Ackbar._

Hologram Ackbar: Begin your descent. It has been an honor, General. May the force be with you.

 

_The hologram vanishes and Leia bows her head sadly. Cut to an exterior shot of her ship as it turns and accelerates towards the planet’s surface, followed by the rest of the Resistance ships. Ackbar’s cruiser is the only one left. Cut to a shot from behind the cruiser of the view Ackbar must have: the full might of the First Order bearing down on him. Cut to Hux, standing on his bridge and looking out on the rebel fleet turning towards the surface._

Hux: They’re fleeing to the surface. The Supreme Leader was right.

 

_Hux turns and overlooks his command crew._

Hux: Be prepared to deploy more ground troops if necessary. This will be the day the Resistance is crushed forever.

 

_Cut to one of the officers typing on his consol. He frowns, and looks up at Hux._

Officer: General, one of their ships is preparing to jump to light speed.

 

_Cut to Hux, who looks back at Ackbar’s ship._

Hux, spitefully: Deserters. Let them flee. Cowards are of no concern to us.

 

_Cut to the cruiser’s main controls, where Ackbar sits. He begins flipping switches. From the exterior, we see the ship turning away from the planet, but not towards deep space. Rather, the nose of the ship is now pointed directly at the First Order fleet._

_Cut to Hux, who is watching the ship’s motion. A flicker of concern crosses his face, and he suddenly cries out, in desperation and fear._

Hux: Concentrate all firepower on that ship!

 

_Cut to the officer, who looks up in alarm._

Officer: General?

 

_Cut to Hux._

Hux, screaming: Destroy it!

 

_We see the guns on the base of the Star Destroyer begin to rotate, pointing towards the cruiser. Cut to the inside of the cruiser, where Ackbar is gazing out at the Destroyer. His face is solemn, but determined, and shows no trace of fear. Close-up of his hand as he places it on a lever and pushes it slowly forward._

_From a distant perspective, we see the cruiser jump into light speed and blast through the main Destroyer, splitting it in half. This sets off a chain reaction: one by one, the Destroyers fracture from the reverberations of the strike. We see what this looks like from the ground: light cuts open the sky in great bursts and slashes._

_We also see Leia’s command cruiser, surrounded by the other Resistance ships as they descend towards the surface. Cut to Leia, who is looking up at the destruction with an expression of great sadness._

_Cut to inside Hux’s destroyer. The force of the explosion has thrown him to the ground, and he drags himself to standing position on the now-slanted floor of the Destroyer. He is disheveled, and when he speaks the authority has gone out of his voice, replaced by panic._

Hux: Commence evacuation immediately!

 

_Cut to a close-up of stormtrooper masks, accompanied by the clanking of their armor and boots as they walk. When the shot cuts to slightly farther out, we see that the masks belong to a small squad of troopers marching down the pathway to Snoke’s palace. They pass by the other troopers lining the pathway. One of the troopers in the front of the group turns to the one next to him. When he speaks, it is Poe’s voice._

Poe: Once we get in, what’s the plan?

 

_Cut to the other trooper, who speaks with Finn’s voice._

Finn: Find Rey and Luke, and get back to the shuttle so the bombers can end this.

 

_As the troopers approach the palace, Captain Phasma comes into sight, standing in the entryway, surrounded by the bodies of the Knights of Ren. Finn halts, and the troopers behind him do as well. Close-up on Phasma, who turns to look at her unexpected guests._

Phasma: Why have you left your post?

 

_Close-up on the stormtrooper mask which hide’s Finn’s face. He doesn’t want to speak, lest Phasma recognizes his voice. Poe steps forward._

Poe: We received a message that the Supreme Leader wanted all troops to drop in and consolidate around the palace.

 

_Cut to Phasma._

Phasma: The Resistance slime must’ve sent out a false signal. I will re-communicate proper orders. Return to your post.

 

_Cut to the troopers, who stand awkwardly in front of her, not moving. As the tension mounts, Finn suddenly steps forward and pulls off his helmet, tossing it aside. He is angry and defiant standing in front of his old Captain._

Finn: No, Phasma. We’re not going anywhere.

 

_Cut to Phasma._

Phasma: FN-2187. So good to see you again.

_Finn’s companions raise their weapons and point them at Phasma, who doesn’t move. Several of them open fire, but the bullets ricochet off her armor. Phasma casually raises her blaster and returns fire, hitting two troopers before anyone can react. Pandemonium breaks out as the troopers break ranks, trying to avoid Phasma’s blaster. Not all are successful, and several more bodies fall before the troopers have a chance to duck behind rocks for cover._

_Some of them peer around the edge of their rocks and shoot again at Phasma, to no effect. Close-up on Finn as he leans against his rock shield, breathing hard. He closes his eyes for a moment, calming his breathing, and when his eyes open they are hard with determination. Finn rises suddenly with a roar and charges at Phasma, dropping his blaster and pulling the electric baton from its sheath on his leg. He swings at her. Phasma is forced to drop her blaster, but she blocks his blow with a thin staff which has appeared in her hand._

_Cut to Poe, who has also discarded his stormtrooper mask and whirls around as bullets suddenly start whizzing past him from behind. The camera follows his gaze: the closest troopers have heard the commotion, and are advancing over the rocky terrain towards the small band of Resistance fighters. Close-up on Poe’s desperate face: he doesn’t know how much time they have before hundreds of stormtroopers are upon them._

_Poe’s face fades to Leia’s as she looks out on Moraband. The floor rattles slightly as her ship lands atop a low rise overlooking Snoke’s palace. Leia turns away from the window to her command console, where C-3PO is examining a hologram projection of the palace. Suddenly, a knocking sound echoes through the ship. Close-up on C-3PO._

C-3PO: What could that be?

_He and Leia look at each other, concerned. Leia presses a button on the console, and a projected screen blooms, which shows the outside of the ship. This screen makes the source of the knocking clear: BB-8 is rolling around, trying to find a way in._

_Leia smiles in relief. Cut to BB-8 as a ramp descends from the ship. He beeps happily and rolls up the ramp. Cut back to Leia and C-3PO as BB-8 enters the command bridge. He lets out a long series of beeps directed at Leia. Close-up on C-3PO as he translates._

C-3PO: BB-8 says that Commander Dameron is currently staging an attack at the palace entrance. He has gathered fighters, but they won’t hold out for long without aerial support.

_Cut to Leia. She is both proud of Poe and annoyed with him that he started the attack before she could help him. She presses a button on the console to communicate with the fleet._

Leia: Commander Dameron got here first. Give him support at the palace entrance. Bombers, stand by until you have my clearance.

 

_Cut to the cockpit of Poe’s X-Wing, where Holdo has just received Leia’s orders._

Holdo: Yes, General. All squads, follow my lead.

 

_Cut to an aerial shot of the palace as the Resistance fleet soars towards it. This shot fades to one of a First Order cruiser just as it explodes in the hangar of one of the doomed Star Destroyers. The shot cuts further out, showing us the full hangar. We can see troopers and officers sprinting towards TIE Fighters, cruisers, escape pods, anything that will get them off the rapidly disintegrating ship. Flaming debris rains from the ceiling._

_Close-up on Hux. He is sweating from the heat of the countless fires, his hair all over his face as he hurries down a corridor full of running people. He raises a communication device to his mouth and shouts into it to be heard over the sounds of panicked people and tearing metal._

Hux: Officer, is my ship intact?

 

Officer, voice muffled over the device: Yes, General, but the Destroyer won’t hold together much longer. Hurry.

 

_Hux stuffs the device back in his pocket and exits the corridor into the hangar. He overlooks the chaos in dismay, but he notices his ship and hurries towards it, an officer waving urgently at him. Hux boards and the ramp snaps shut behind him. The metal floor collapses just as the ship lifts off it, sending stormtroopers and officers plummeting to their deaths._

_Close-up on Hux, who is now in the cockpit as his pilot navigates them through the wreckage. From outside the Destroyer, we see the ship shoot clear just as a particularly large explosion lights up the hangar behind them. Close-up on Hux as he bows his head, relieved to at least be momentarily out of danger. He raises his head. When he speaks next, he is trying hard to force confidence and authority back into his voice._

Hux: Head for Supreme Leader Snoke’s private docking bay. We may be just in time to witness Phasma’s destruction of the Resistance.

 

_On Hux’s final word, the scene abruptly cuts to Finn and Phasma’s weapons clashing. Finn swings at her ferociously, but Phasma seems unfazed, deflecting his blows and letting him wear himself out._

_We see what else is going on in the rest of the fight, which is untamed madness: the stormtroopers Finn recruited are fighting the troopers who came to help Phasma, causing widespread confusion. Nobody can tell friend from foe._

_Poe has his back to Finn and Phasma and is firing at will. He is much less comfortable with a blaster than he is from the cockpit of his X-Wing, however. From above, we see Holdo in Poe’s black X-Wing swooping over the battle, taking out dozens of troopers at once as they try to come to Phasma’s aid._

_Cut back to Finn and Phasma as Finn sends a particularly vicious swing at Phasma. This motion twists the muscles just beneath his lightsaber scar, however, and he suddenly cries out, grabbing at his back. Capitalizing on his sudden weakness, Phasma whacks him across the face with her staff, then grabs him by the back of his armor and throws him into a pile of rocks. Finn crumples._

_Cut back to Poe. He fires at a trooper and his aim is true, but as he pivots to identify his next target, Phasma’s staff unexpectedly collides with the back of his head. He cries out and falls face first to the ground. He flips onto his back to look at Phasma, and we see her as he does, looming above him._

_She reaches for her blaster, fully prepared to kill him, but she dropped it when Finn attacked her and it isn’t in her holster. Undeterred, she raises her staff. Cut briefly to Poe’s terrified face, still disoriented from her first blow as he prepares to dodge her strike._

_Cut back to Phasma. Now it is her turn to feel something suddenly collide with the back of her head: Finn’s baton. She collapses, revealing Finn standing above her atop the pile of rocks. Blood runs down his face, but his eyes blaze as he looks down at Phasma._

_The camera follows Finn’s gaze. Phasma’s helmet has cracked over her eye, and she looks up at her former pawn with genuine fear. Her fright does not reach her voice, however, as she spits one final insult at Finn._

Phasma: You were always scum.

 

_Cut to Finn._

Finn: Rebel scum.

 

_Cut to Holdo in Poe’s X-Wing. She looks down, and we briefly see her aerial perspective of Finn, Poe, and Phasma. She pushes the button on her toggle to fire. From the exterior, we see her missiles hit the ground where Phasma lies. When the explosion settles, there is nothing left but a crater in the ground. Poe, still lying on his back, breaks into a broad grin at the sight of his ship and gives it a salute before scrambling to his feet and looking at Finn._

Poe, gratefully: That’s two I owe you now.

 

_Cut to Finn, who is wincing and holding his back. Cut to Poe, who offers a hand to help Finn down from his perch atop the rocks. Finn gingerly steps down onto level ground._

Poe, concerned: Are you okay? Is it your scar?

 

_Cut to Finn. He is clearly in pain, but he shakes his head in an attempt to clear the sharp throbbing from his senses._

Finn: It’s nothing. Poe, I have to find Rey.

 

_Cut to Poe. The wooziness from Phasma’s blow is fading from his eyes, and determination is returning. When he speaks, it is with all the authority of a Commander intent on carrying out his mission to the last._

Poe: Go. I’ll keep things under control down here.

 

_Finn looks at Poe gratefully. He pushes his pain from his mind, then turns and walks through the archway into Snoke’s palace. Close-up on Poe, who watches Finn worriedly before a bullet whizzes past him, reminding him of the ongoing battle._

_Cut from Poe’s face to the clash of red lightsaber on green. Rey’s staff flies in and Kylo twists his saber to catch her blow too, then pushes both her and Luke backwards. Rey strikes again, and though she has been reinvigorated by Luke’s appearance, the effort of the fight is already beginning to sap her strength once more. Kylo parries her blow, then a strike from Luke._

_Close-up on Luke’s tormented face; it would destroy him to kill his kin. We can see that he may not have a choice, however, as Kylo’s blows are reckless and violent, particularly when directed at his uncle._

_As the three fight, we see the exterior of the palace just as stray fire from a passing X-Wing sprays against the walls. Cut back to the inside of the throne room as the missiles rip through the outer defenses and explode, setting part of the room on fire._

_The three briefly forget their fight as they all duck instinctively, glancing around at the explosion. The respite doesn’t last more than a moment, however. Kylo recovers first and swings viciously at Luke, murder in his eyes. Luke just barely blocks the strike, but while their sabers are still locked Kylo reaches out with his free hand and Force-throws an unprepared Rey across the room. She screams as she hits the wall, nearly flying out one of the new, gaping holes in the wall, and she crumples to the ground, unconscious._

Luke, horrified: Rey!

_Close-up on Luke, who has terror in his eyes. For the first time he truly goes on the offensive, swinging at Kylo. Kylo is taken aback by his old master’s sudden ferocity. The two sabers collide at almost blinding speed, each swing just barely missing its target. Kylo tries a low swipe at Luke, who catches the saber with his own, and then twists his blade around Kylo’s, forcing Kylo to drop his lightsaber. Kylo’s saber closes as it hits the ground with a rattle. Luke then kicks his nephew in the chest. Kylo flies backwards, hitting the side of Snoke’s throne and collapsing in a heap beside the pieces of the dead Supreme Leader’s body._

_Luke closes his saber and immediately runs to Rey, who is lying on her side next to the pieces of Anakin’s broken lightsaber. Luke ignores the saber and kneels next to his daughter, fear in his eyes as he cups her face in his hands._

Luke: Rey?

 

_We see Rey from his perspective. The toll of the last several hours is clear in the sweat and grime coating her face. Cut back to Luke as he puts one of his hands on her shoulder. He rolls her onto her back, his desperate gaze still fixed on her face._

Luke, slightly louder and more franticly: Rey?

 

_Rey’s eyes open. She raises her head to look up at her father, but she is groggy and disoriented._

Rey, barely louder than a whisper: Thank you.

 

_As soon as Rey speaks, her eyes close again and her head falls back to the floor as she lets out a small cough. Cut to Luke, whose face breaks out in relief at her signs of life. He bends over Rey and lifts her to him, wrapping her in his arms. Rey weakly returns the first embrace she remembers receiving from a parent._

_Cut to Kylo, who is regaining consciousness. He uncomfortably pushes himself into a sitting position, then looks up. The camera follows his gaze to Luke and Rey, locked in their embrace, and we see his reaction as anger splits his features. Although he is still too dazed to stand, he reaches towards the ceiling above them and mimes a pulling motion._

_The Force responds as the ceiling suddenly collapses. We see Luke look up in terror at the rocks plummeting towards him. With Rey still in his arms, he throws up a hand at the last second before the rocks hit them. From Kylo’s perspective, we see the rocks completely cover Luke and Rey, surely crushing them. Kylo picks himself up, his body feeling very battered. The throne room is deadly silent as he limps forward, eyeing the rock pile. All is silent and still for a beat._

_Suddenly, the pile explodes outwards. The debris shoots in all directions, and one of the larger rocks slams into Kylo, knocking him back into the base of the throne. As Kylo collapses for the second time, the shot cuts to Luke, standing above Rey’s prone body, hand still outstretched from casting the boulders aside._

_Breathing hard, Luke looks down at Rey, who has fallen unconscious again. As he bends to pick her up, he hears footsteps and looks up quickly. The camera follows his gaze as the elevator doors open on Finn. He looks around wildly until he spots Luke, then Rey._

_Close-up on Finn’s face as it lights up upon seeing Rey, but his face just as quickly falls when he realizes she isn’t moving. Although his old wound is still causing him pain, he runs as fast as he can towards her, then collapses on his knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders desperately._

Finn: Rey! Rey! Rey!

 

_He looks up at Luke in terror._

Finn, panicked, his voice breaking as he speaks: Is she dead?

 

_Cut to Luke. He doesn’t know who this man in stormtrooper garb is, but he can feel Finn’s genuine care for Rey._

Luke: Leia sent you?

 

_Finn nods._

Luke: She isn’t dead, but we need to leave. Help me.

 

_Finn and Luke pick up Rey’s limp body, draping one of her arms around each of their shoulders. Finn grimaces as Rey’s weight hangs on his scarred back. Nevertheless, he still holds her around the waist to keep her from slumping to the ground._

_Luke looks down at the pieces of Anakin’s saber. Close-up on his face as he looks at this last remnant of his father. He bends down and picks up the pieces, pocketing them. The ungainly trio begins to make their way across the room towards the elevator. Luke nods at it._

Luke: You can work it?

 

_Cut to Finn, who nods._

Finn: The Resistance is waiting for us. The General will send in the bombers as soon as we’re clear.

 

_As Finn speaks, cut to Rey’s face. Her head hangs limply, but at the sound of Finn’s voice she raises it slightly._

Rey, weakly: Finn?

 

_Luke and Finn stop walking a few steps from the elevator. Finn turns and looks down at Rey._

Finn: Rey?

 

_Rey raises her head. She is disoriented, confused about why she is no longer passed out on the ground, but when she sees Finn all the confusion disappears and is replaced by joy. Cut to Finn’s face as he breaks into an enormous smile._

_Rey removes her arm from Luke’s shoulder and throws it around Finn as he holds her tight to him. Their physical pain fades away, replaced by relief at being back in each other’s arms after so many months apart._

_Cut to Luke, who looks on with fondness and nostalgia as Finn embraces Rey. He does not interrupt._

_Finn finally breaks away from Rey, and she nearly falls without his support. She is standing on her own two feet now, but she is still very weak._

Finn: Can you walk?

 

_Cut to Rey, who nods. She still can’t believe her eyes as she looks at Finn. The trio enters the elevator. Close-up on Finn’s hand as he types something onto a pin pad. We see the throne room from their perspective: flames and debris everywhere, holes blown in the wall, and Kylo Ren’s body lying at the foot of the throne. Luke’s somber eyes rest on Kylo’s body for a moment before the elevator doors close on the scene._

_Cut to the exterior of the palace, where the Resistance fleet is continuing its barrage, led by Holdo in Poe’s ship, targeting the stormtroopers trying to advance towards the palace entryway. Close-up on Holdo as she weaves in and out of the spires of Snoke’s palace. Cut to the entryway, which is no longer a battleground. Poe stands guarding the archway, pointing his blaster at any signs of movement._

_The fleet managed to keep the bulk of the troopers away from the entrance, and those who got through were disposed of by Poe and the others. Stormtrooper bodies litter the ground. Lando and Rose, both unmasked, stand farther down the path from Poe, accompanied by the surviving converted stormtroopers._

_Cut to Poe as he looks up at Holdo doing another pass in his X-Wing. He desperately wishes he could be the one piloting. At the sound of Finn’s voice, however, Poe drops his gaze and whirls around. The camera follows his gaze to Luke, Rey, and Finn appearing in the archway._

Finn: Poe!

 

_Cut back to Poe, his face breaking out in relief as he runs to them and embraces Finn._

Poe: You made it!

 

_Poe lets go of Finn and looks at Luke, suddenly humbled as he realizes who he is. He gives a respectful nod to the legendary Jedi Master. Luke looks nonplussed by this._

Poe: I’m Poe Dameron.

 

Luke: Luke Skywalker.

 

Rey, adding on: I’m Rey.

 

_Rey is so used to introducing herself just by her first name that she doesn’t even think to say “Skywalker.” Cut to Poe, who smiles at Rey and Luke, bemused that they’ve even bothered introducing themselves._

Poe: I know.

_An enormous explosion sounding somewhere nearby causes all four to jump and swiftly cuts off the introductions._

Poe, serious again, to Finn: We aren’t going to be able to get back to the shuttle. There are too many stormtroopers around.

 

_The camera’s focus shifts to Luke in the background, who closes his eyes. Cut to Leia, who looks up from the hologram of Snoke’s palace._

Leia: Luke!

 

_Cut to Luke._

Luke: Leia, we’re clear. Send in the bombers.

 

_Cut to Leia. She picks up a communication device and raises it to her mouth._

Leia: Clear the area. Bombers, advance.

 

_Cut to Holdo, who nods and flips some switches._

Holdo: All squads, clear out. Set course for Crait.

_From the exterior, we see the fleet of ships circle Snoke’s palace one last time, then head away from the tall spires, Holdo at the point of the formation. The Resistance bombing fleet appears from behind a low rise of hills and begins to advance towards the palace. Cut back to Luke, Rey, and the others. Luke points off to his left._

Luke: Leia is this way.

 

_Poe turns and calls out to Lando, Rose, and the others, who are too far away to have overheard the conversation. The group turns. Close-up on Luke as he recognizes Lando._

Luke: Lando?

 

_Lando’s face lights up and he bounds towards Luke. The two embrace. Luke tastes regret as he realizes he will never get a reunion like this with Han, but he quickly pushes the thought from his head: the danger is not over._

_Lando and Luke break apart and the group begins to climb over the rocky terrain. Finn walks beside Rey and watches her carefully. The toll of the throne room fight is evident in her unusually slow and deliberate motions._

_The scene fades to Kylo, lying as if dead in the silence and rubble of the throne room. Suddenly he jerks awake, rolling over and looking around for Rey and Luke, who have, of course, vanished. In a rage, Kylo pushes himself to his feet and summons his lightsaber to him. He ignites it and slashes open one of the rocks littering the throne room, letting out a yell as he does so._

_As he turns to slash at another one, we see Hux emerge from one of the hallways. Hux surveys the scene with confusion: Snoke’s dead body, the rubble everywhere, Kylo’s tantrum._

Hux: What happened?

 

_Kylo whirls around at the sound of Hux’s voice, a manic look in his eyes. He closes his saber and sticks it into his belt._

Kylo: The girl and Skywalker murdered Snoke. They must be obliterated before they can escape. Assemble the fleet.

 

_Cut to Hux, who doesn’t answer right away. When he does, there is a hint of venom in his voice._

Hux: You presume to command my men? My army? Our Supreme Leader is dead—

 

_Hux’s words are cut off as Kylo reaches out, Force-choking him. Cut to Kylo._

Kylo: Our Supreme Leader is dead?

 

_Cut to Hux. He is struggling to breathe as he chokes his words out._

Hux: Long live the Supreme Leader.

 

_Kylo releases Hux, who falls to his knees. Cut to Kylo as he turns to the elevator, then to Hux as he scrambles after Kylo, still struggling to regain his breath. The elevator doors close on a frontal shot of the two of them: Kylo looks incensed, while Hux is rubbing his sore windpipe. The two stand together awkwardly as the elevator descends. Close-up on Kylo as he repeats his command._

Kylo: Assemble the fleet.

 

_Close-up on Hux, who doesn’t look eager to respond to his new Supreme Leader._

Hux: The fleet is in ruin. One of the Resistance cruisers jumped to hyperspace through our lead destroyer, causing mass destruction. The evacuation is ongoing.

 

_Close-up on Kylo, who turns not just his face, but his whole body so he looms over Hux. Fury is in his eyes._

Kylo, in a deathly quiet voice: I want the fleet assembled and brought to the surface. Not a single Resistance fighter leaves here, do you understand?

 

_Cut to Hux, who looks up at Kylo darkly. Slowly, he raises his communication device to his mouth._

Hux: Organize the remnants of the fleet. Cut off any options the Resistance has for escape.

 

_Hux glowers at Kylo as the elevator stops and the doors open onto the entrance hallway. Kylo stalks out and Hux follows._

_The scene fades to Luke, Rey, and the others scrambling up the last few yards towards Leia’s cruiser. Close-up on Luke as he stops. The camera follows his gaze as the ramp descends and Leia appears. The twins lock eyes, but before either can move BB-8 has zoomed past everyone to get to Poe. Poe drops to his knees and rubs BB-8 like a dog, relieved that his droid managed to find Leia’s cruiser unharmed. BB-8 then rolls over to Rey and fires off a long string of happy beeps. She smiles weakly at him and crouches down, looking at his new antenna._

Rey: It looks good.

_Cut back to Luke and Leia as they slowly advance until they are standing just a few feet away. Luke seems ready to speak first, but Leia beats him to it._

Leia: I know what you’re going to say. I changed my hair.

 

_Cut to Luke, who smiles._

Luke: It looks nice that way.

 

_The two embrace. When they break apart, Luke looks at her gravely._

Luke: Leia, he’s still alive. I couldn’t do it.

 

_Cut to Leia, who looks down, unable to meet her brother’s gaze as her eyes fill with tears._

Leia: I came here to end this war once and for all. Han, my son, they’re both gone.

 

_Cut to Luke._

Luke: No one’s ever really gone.

 

_Cut to Leia. She gives him a small, sad, doubtful smile. She turns and the twins lead the rest of the group up into the cruiser._

_Cut to inside the cruiser as the group arrives back at the bridge. Rey walks to a low bench and sits on it, exhausted. Finn starts walking towards her, but Rose reaches out a hand and stops him, shaking her head slightly. Finn looks at her in confusion, and Rose nods towards Luke._

_Close-up on Luke. He initially walks towards the control panel, where Leia, Poe, and Lando are already flipping switches, preparing for departure, but then pauses and looks at Rey._

_We see her from his perspective. She looks small and alone as she stares at the ground. Luke takes a breath and turns towards her, but before he can take a step C-3PO has appeared, cutting off his line of vision._

C-3PO: Master Luke!

 

_Cut to Luke, who, despite the interruption, smiles at his old droid._

Luke: Good to see you, Threepio.

 

_Cut to C-3PO._

C-3PO: When you left I told Artoo you would be back. I put your chances of return at 3 to 1, which are better odds than—

 

_Cut to Luke, who gently raises a hand._

Luke: Threepio, I want to hear all about it. But will you excuse me for a minute?

 

_Cut to C-3PO as Luke brushes past him towards Rey. C-3PO turns, and he understands at once._

C-3PO: Ah, yes, of course.

 

_Cut to Rey as Luke sits beside her. She looks at him. A feeling of intense gratitude washes over her as she gazes at her father. Luke looks back kindly, but also apologetically. His shame at leaving her behind as a child is written plainly on his face. She meets his gaze, looking at him for a long moment. Part of her wants to tell him all is forgiven, but her years of loneliness on Jakku stop the words in her throat. Instead, she scoots closer to her father and rests her head on his shoulder. Luke smiles softly and places his hand on top of hers. Father and daughter sit together in silence, truly united at last. Cut to Leia, who presses a button on the control panel._

Leia: All squads, prepare for hyperspace. Bombers, get ready to make the jump as soon as the cargo is away. We’re going home.

 

_Leia smiles on her final word. Cut to the exterior of the cruiser as it rises into the sky. Cut to the fleet of bombers as it approaches the palace and the first bombs begin to drop._

_Cut to Kylo and Hux, who are approaching Kylo’s shuttle, perched on a flat landing pad. We see the bombs drop and explode behind them, setting the palace ablaze. The two men turn and look back, the light from the explosions illuminating their faces even at a distance._

_Neither speaks, and Kylo turns back towards the shuttle first. Hux’s eyes linger on the palace for a few extra seconds before he turns and follows. Cut to the cockpit of the shuttle, where Kylo’s pilot waits at the controls. Kylo looks out at Snoke’s burning palace, then addresses Hux._

Kylo: Where is the fleet?

 

_Cut to Hux, who points, dark satisfaction in his eyes. The camera follows his gaze: all the TIE Fighters that survived Ackbar’s destruction are descending in a wave towards the ground. It is much too late to save the palace, but the fighters shoot at the bombers anyways, sending them crashing down into the conflagration below._

_Cut to Poe. The command cruiser, joyous after a successful mission, is suddenly silent as the TIE Fighters approach. Poe walks to the window and looks out at the fighters. Flames dance on his face as a flicker of fear enters his eyes. He returns swiftly to the control panel and flips a few switches. Cut to Leia, who looks just as concerned as Poe._

Leia: How soon can we make the jump?

 

_Cut to Poe, who bows his head in frustration._

Poe: We have to get clear of the atmosphere.

 

_Poe jerks his head up again as missiles from a TIE Fighter suddenly slam into the side of the ship. The shields are up, but the force of the impact at such close range still rattles the ship. From the exterior of the ship, we see fighters swarming around it._

_Cut to Holdo. She anxiously watches as the First Order ships converge on the cruiser. Her expression changes to one of determination as she remembers that Poe is in the cruiser, and that the fleet is looking to her._

Holdo: All squads, follow me. Protect the cruiser.

 

_Cut to the exterior of the ship as the Resistance fleet suddenly soars in to defend their leadership. First Order and Resistance ships weave in and out of each other, trying hard not to accidentally bring down one of their own._ _Cut to inside the cruiser, where Poe and Leia are watching the battle nervously. Leia presses a button to communicate with Holdo._

Leia: Can you hold them off?

 

_Cut to Holdo. Light flickers on her face from passing missiles. She looks out through her cockpit, and the camera follows her gaze as another wave of TIE Fighters soars towards the fight. Cut back to Holdo, worry in her eyes._

Holdo: Not for long.

 

_Cut to the exterior of the cruiser. The Resistance fleet circles the cruiser, trying to keep the First Order at bay. A lone fighter breaks through the defense, however, and fires at the cruiser. The bolts glance harmlessly off the shields, but disaster strikes when one of the Resistance ships returns fire. The missile hits its target, but as the TIE Fighter explodes it careens through the command cruiser’s metal hull. The shields aren’t effective at all against such a heavy object at such close range._

_Cut to the interior of the ship. Rey raises her head from Luke’s shoulder, worry replacing exhaustion on her face at the sound of the collision._

Rey: I have a bad feeling about this.

_The ship starts to tilt dramatically from the force of the impact, sending everyone stumbling. Close-up on Leia as she shouts to be heard over the sound of ripping metal._

Leia: Poe! Can we still make the jump?

 

_Cut to Poe as he lurches forward to the control and flips a switch. A hologram appears in front of him, and whatever it tells him isn’t good._

Poe: Not a chance. They’ve ruptured the coolant tanks. We’d be blown to bits as soon as we tried.

 

_Cut to Leia._

Leia: Can you get us back to the ground?

 

_Cut to Poe as he looks up desperately._

Poe: We’re no better off on the surface!

 

_Cut to Leia._

Leia: We don’t have a choice! Take us down before they do it for you!

 

_Cut to Poe, who gives Leia a determined look before beginning to flip switches and press buttons. From the exterior, we see the ship turn in midair and begin to sink back towards the ground. Cut back to Poe’s stressed face._

Poe: What do we do once we land?

 

_Cut to Leia._

Leia: I haven’t thought that far ahead.

 

_Cut to Poe, who looks at her incredulously. Leia presses a button on the control panel. Cut to Holdo as she receives Leia’s orders._

Leia, over the intercom: Vice-Admiral, we have to return to the surface. Try to draw some of them off.

 

Holdo: Yes, General.

 

_Holdo looks around desperately at the barrage of First Order ships. She sets her face into an expression of determination and pulls at the toggle. Cut to the exterior of her ship as it does protective loops around the cruiser, blasting TIE Fighters out of the sky and spinning to avoid their fire._

_Cut to the inside as Holdo looks up from her controls. Her gaze suddenly locks onto something, and the camera shows us what she sees: Kylo’s shuttle rising into the air, far in the distance. Cut back to Holdo as an idea occurs to her. She flips a switch._

Holdo: Red leader, Blue leader, fall back and protect the cruiser.

 

_Cut to the inside of another X-Wing._

Red leader: Good luck, Vice-Admiral.

 

_Cut back to Holdo as she jerks the toggle. We see her ship peel off from the main battle, several TIE Fighters in hot pursuit, and then we see Leia as she watches Holdo in Poe’s ship disappear between some low hills. Leia bows her head. Cut back to the exterior of Holdo’s X-Wing as she advances on Kylo’s ship and fires on it._

_Cut to Kylo in the cockpit just as Holdo’s missiles make contact. They ricochet off the shields, but shake the ship nonetheless. Kylo looks up, infuriated._

Kylo, yelling: Fire on that ship!

 

_Cut to the underneath of Kylo’s ship as its cannons point towards Holdo before blasting at her. We see her dodge the blasts, the missiles exploding harmlessly against the cliffs behind her. Cut to Hux in the cockpit as he raises a communication device to his mouth._

Hux: Bring in reinforcements.

 

_Cut to Kylo, who is displeased that his General has given orders without his permission._

Kylo: Activate the heat-seeking missiles.

 

_Hux looks at Kylo, and they glare at each other until the scene cuts to another group of TIE Fighters peeling away from the cruiser in pursuit of Holdo. Cut to the inside of Leia’s cruiser as Poe takes a deep breath, trying to focus on navigating the cruiser back to the surface._

_Cut to Holdo as she steels herself to make another pass at Kylo’s ship. One of the missiles breaks through the shields this time, starting a small fire on one of the shuttle’s wings. As Holdo soars away, Kylo’s ship fires on her. This time, the missiles trail her even as she tries to dodge them. Cut to the cockpit, where she is watching the missiles on her radar, an anxious expression on her face. Poe is the only pilot talented enough to successfully evade heat-seekers._

_She yanks up on the toggle and from the exterior we see her ship do a loop to reverse direction. She doesn’t lose the missiles, and we see her look up at Hux’s reinforcements bearing down on her. Even Poe wouldn’t stand a chance against this many enemy ships in addition to the missiles._

_Holdo looks down at her radar screen, back at the ships, back at her radar, back at the ships, then takes a deep breath determination in her eyes, and closes her eyes as she slams a button. From the exterior, we see her ship stop midair, surrounded by the dark wave of TIE Fighters bearing down on her. With her motion stopped, the missiles strike home. Holdo and Poe’s black X-Wing are engulfed an enormous cloud of fire, but her final act has also destroyed the dozens of TIE Fighters surrounding her._

_Cut to the interior of Leia’s cruiser. Poe and Leia look out the main window as the sky lights up with the explosion. Poe bows his head respectfully, while Leia continues to stare out at the fiery sky, sorrow in her eyes._

_Cut to the exterior of the cruiser. It has nearly reached the ground when a TIE Fighter is shot from the sky. Again, the flaming wreck collides with the ship, but with much more force than last time. Upon impact, the camera cuts back to the interior of the cruiser as the flaming fighter tears straight through the main bridge, throwing the scene into chaos._

_The fighter leaves a chasm of flames and torn metal in its wake, ripping the bridge in two. Luke and Rey are on one side, and the rest of the crew is on the other. More missiles strike the exterior of the ship, and the floor tilts treacherously._

_From the exterior of the cruiser, we see that the top part of the ship has been split in half where the fighter tore through it. The pieces of the ship groan as they try to pull free from each other. Cut back to the interior, where Poe is desperately clinging to the controls, trying to keep the ship from splitting apart before it hits the ground._

_From the exterior, we see that even Poe’s best efforts are failing. Just before it lands, part of the cruiser rips clean and lurches forward, skidding away from the rest of the cruiser with a terrible screeching sound as it hits the ground. The rest of the ship falls to earth with a deafening crunch._

_We see inside the smaller, detached piece as it lurches off the edge of a low rise before slamming into a large pile of rocks and grinding to a halt. Leia, Poe, and the others all slump against the walls, thankful to be alive. They look out the enormous hole where the ship ruptured. Poe pushes himself to his feet first and steps forward, looking around at everyone else._

Poe: We are going to get off this rock. There has to be another ship around here somewhere.

 

_He looks at Leia, whose gaze is fixed on a point somewhere above Poe’s head. The camera follows her gaze. Cut to inside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, where Chewbacca is piloting the ship. He lets out a roar, and Artoo beeps from behind him, relieved that they are finally able to help his friends: without a gunner, they had been unable to participate in the battle. Cut back to Poe, whose face breaks into a relieved smile as he watches the Falcon soar above them._

 

_Poe’s face fades to Luke’s. He and Rey are climbing down from their half of the ship, the bodies of some of the less fortunate passengers scattered around them. The battle between the First Order and Resistance fleets still rages above them, and they huddle next to the carcass of the ship to shelter from fire. Close-up on Luke as he turns to Rey._

Luke: Are you okay?

 

_Cut to Rey. She looks at him. Just as she was touched when Finn asked her the same question many months before, she is again moved by these words she went most of her life without hearing._

Rey: Fine, yeah.

 

_Cut to Luke. He looks out over the rocky terrain._

Luke: We have to get back to Leia and the others.

 

_The two hurry out from underneath the wreckage of the ship and begin to make their way as quickly as possible across the perilous terrain, following the blazing trail left behind by the other piece of the ship. The ground is burning and covered in wreckage, and ships fall from the sky around them like hellfire. Luke and Rey duck behind rocks and under low overhangs to shield themselves from missiles and debris._

_From above, we see them reach the edge of the cliff where the other half of the ship skidded off. The camera follows their gaze to the burned wreckage, smashed against the rocks. Cut to their faces as they look at it worriedly. Then we hear the roar of a familiar engine. They look up just as the Millennium Falcon passes overhead, and their faces simultaneously break into relieved smiles._

_Cut to the inside of the cockpit, where Chewie is piloting, Poe in the co-pilot’s seat, Leia and Finn behind them. Leia points._

Leia: Set us down Chewie, and then let’s get out of here.

 

_We see the Falcon descending, its landing gears unfolding from the underside of the ship. Luke and Rey hurry towards it. Before they have closed even half the distance, however, a missile unexpectedly strikes the ground behind them and sends them flying. They land in a tangled heap and Luke looks up. The camera follows his gaze to Kylo’s ship, which has appeared from behind one of the low hills_. _Cut to inside the cockpit. Hux is smirking, but Kylo looks out on his relatives with deadly calm._

Hux: We have them, Supreme Leader.

 

Kylo: Fire.

 

_Cut to the cannons rotating and extending, locking in on their target. Cut to Rey and Luke’s terrified faces as they push themselves to their feet. Close-up on Rey as she looks up at Luke one last time. He is what she has always wanted, and now that she is beside him at last, she is ready to die. Luke looks down at her, a deep pain in his eyes._

_Cut to Kylo’s view of Rey and Luke as the cannons open fire. A seemingly unending barrage of missiles unloads on the spot where Luke and Rey stand. Cut to Leia, Chewie, Finn, and Poe in the Falcon cockpit. They overlook the destruction with horror and shock. Cut to Kylo’s emotionless face as the explosions reflect in his dark eyes. Hux looks at him, but Kylo doesn’t call off the assault._

_Close-up on the spot where Luke and Rey stood as the cannons finally cease their onslaught. As the flames slowly die down and the smoke clears, however, we see father and daughter standing unharmed, exactly as they were. Cut to Kylo’s face. His clenched jaw betrays his anger and disbelief at their miraculous survival._

_Cut back to Rey and Luke. Luke stands defensively in front of Rey, and he holds a pulsating, fiery orb between his hands: he has absorbed every last missile into a flaming ball. Close-up on his face. He is shaking hard as he struggles the hold the energy together, and each additional second that passes takes a greater toll on his strength._

_With an enormous effort, Luke twists and throws the ball back towards Kylo’s ship. As soon as he releases it, he falls to his hands and knees. Cut to Kylo. His face dissolves into pure fear as the ball explodes on contact, engulfing him in flames and sending the ship crashing towards the ground._

_Cut back to Luke, who is gasping, trying in vain to get his breath back. Rey drops to her knees beside him, worry in her eyes._

Rey, fearfully: Father?

 

_Close-up on Luke’s face. His eyes are closed now, and his breath grows more ragged as he collapses onto his stomach, unable to hold himself up any longer. He doesn’t answer. Cut back to Rey._

Rey, more desperately: Father!

 

_Rey rolls Luke onto his back. His exhausted eyes are full of love as he finally finds the strength to open them and look up at Rey._

Luke: Rey.

 

_Cut to Rey, who can tell that something is very wrong. Tears start to pool in her eyes._

Rey: The Falcon’s here. We can go.

 

_Cut to Luke. He shakes his head slowly and coughs before answering._

Luke: You can go. My path… ends here.

 

_Cut to Rey. Tears are now flowing down her cheeks._

Rey: No, no, no, you can’t, not now.

 

_Cut to Luke. He reaches up and touches her face with his human left hand, brushing away the tears. Rey leans her cheek into his hand, fresh tears continuing to pool in her eyes. Luke’s labored words come slowly when he finally speaks again._

Luke: I—I should’ve come back for you. I’m sorry.

 

_Luke closes his eyes and Rey looks down at him, terrified as his breathing slows. With one final effort, however, Luke’s eyes open one final time._

 

Luke: Thank you for making me believe again.

 

_Luke’s hand slides from Rey’s face and falls limply back to his chest when he finishes speaking, and now his eyes close for good. Cut to Rey. She grabs his shoulders desperately as she sobs._

Rey, her voice breaking: No! Father, no! You can’t!

 

_She rests her head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat. She squeezes her eyes shut, but tears continue to seep from beneath her eyelids._

Rey, her voice breaking: I need more time.

 

_Her eyes open again at the sound of a voice. It isn’t one she’s heard before, and yet she recognizes it immediately. When she raises her head, she looks up into the luminous face of Anakin Skywalker. She doesn’t need to ask who he is._

Anakin: He will always be your father.

 

_Cut to Rey. She doesn’t stand to talk to Anakin but stays kneeling on the ground, clutching Luke’s limp body._

Rey, desperately: Help me, please! I can’t leave him!

 

_Cut to Anakin. His eyes are filled with all the pain that he and his family have endured over the long years as he shakes his head slowly._

Anakin: I’ve come for him.

_Cut to Rey._

Rey, softly: No.

 

_Cut to Anakin. Even the Chosen One doesn’t know what to say to comfort his granddaughter. Cut to Rey, who chokes out her next words._

Rey: Why does he have to go?

 

_Cut to Anakin._

Anakin: He has spent his whole life looking to the horizon. It’s time for him to see what’s beyond it.

 

_Cut to Rey, who stares down at Luke. Anakin’s poetic words do nothing to alleviate the agony of her heart being ripped apart. As she looks at Luke’s still face, light from an unknown source begins to shine on her cheeks. She looks up, and the camera follows her gaze: somehow, some way, even on this evil planet, the sun is shining through the haze of darkness. And it isn’t just one sun; there are two balls of light, sitting low in the sky, just above the horizon. The twin suns cast a glow upon the three Skywalkers: Luke lying on the ground, Rey kneeling beside him, and the ghost of Anakin standing above them, flickering in the light. As we watch, Luke vanishes, leaving nothing but his clothes behind._

_Close-up on Rey looking down at the cloth in her hands, disbelief and anguish in her eyes. She looks up at Anakin as he gives her his parting words._

 

Anakin: Allow yourself to hurt. Loss is the greatest pain, but don’t let it blind you from ever loving again.

 

_Anakin pauses now, and thinks back to his own sacrifice, years before._

 

Anakin: Your love is what mattered most to him, in the end.

 

_Anakin vanishes, and now it is just Rey, sitting alone on the rocks, the light from the suns illuminating her downcast face. Her tears fall onto Luke’s empty robe, but as she cries she notices a lump in the fabric. She reaches into the folds and removes the two halves of Anakin’s lightsaber. She stares down at them for a moment, then tucks them into her belt and rises slowly, the weight of grief heavy on her shoulders._

_Cut to the Falcon’s ramp as it descends and Finn rushes down it, stopping at the bottom as he looks at Rey. Cut to Rey, who turns and meets Finn’s gaze. The two walk slowly towards each other. When they meet, they lock eyes. Fresh tears are still running down Rey’s face, and Finn doesn’t know what to say, but he doesn’t have to say anything. Rey holds her arms up pleadingly, and they embrace._

_Cut to the cockpit of the Falcon, where Leia, Poe, and Chewbacca are still sitting. Leia’s gaze is fixed on the place where her brother vanished moments before. She is too stunned to cry, but her eyes show her overwhelming pain at this most recent cruel loss. Poe and Chewbacca look at her silently. Chewbacca places his wooly arm gently around her, but nobody speaks._

_From the exterior, we see the Falcon’s ramp close, and the ship lifts into the air, a small dark spot against the continued brightness of the binary sunset. The remainder of the Resistance fleet pulls back from its battle with the TIE Fighters and falls into rank behind the Falcon. The ships turn away from the planet, towards Crait many light years away._

_Cut to the smoldering wreckage of Kylo’s ship. Kylo and Hux are picking their way free of the smoldering metal. Both have bloodied faces and burned clothes, but they are very much alive. Close-up on Kylo as he looks up at the Millennium Falcon just as it makes the jump to light speed, followed by the rest of the fleet. His eyes blaze with anger as he watches the ships vanish._

_Fade to the interior of the Millennium Falcon. The ship is completely silent except for the small rattling noises as it moves through hyperspace. Rey and Leia sit beside each other next to the chessboard, and Artoo stands close to Rey, C-3PO next to him. Everyone else is scattered throughout the ship: slumped on bunks or chairs or simply leaning against the wall. Finn is standing to the side, watching Rey but giving her and Leia space._

_Close-up on Rey’s tormented face. Anguish twists her features as she tries to suppress the howl of pain and misery building inside of her. When Leia speaks, Rey raises her head slowly to meet her eyes. Close-up on Leia. The cavernous ache of loss is spreading throughout her body, an ache that has never gotten easier no matter how many losses she endures. She knows all too well the comfort Rey needs in this moment, however, and she forces herself to temporarily clear her mind of her own pain. When she speaks, she smiles kindly at Rey._

Leia: His sacrifice won’t be in vain.

 

_Cut to Rey. She doesn’t understand what Leia is talking about._

 

Leia: He believed in you, and so do we.

 

_Close-up on Rey. Even trapped in her haze of grief, Leia’s words strike a chord deep inside her. She doesn’t smile, but her tortured expression softens ever so slightly and she gives the tiniest of nods. We see the two women, surrounded by friends, heading home in the ship that was Han Solo’s pride and joy. Cut to black._

THE END


End file.
